Trading Faces
by Laurel-Crowned
Summary: It was a simple mistake, an accident. But now Duo and Heero have to live with the repercussions, however strange they may be … ::Complete::
1. Trading Faces

**_Pre-Story Ramblin'_**

**_            or:_**

**_"How Duo Made Me Do It"_**

**Title: Trading Faces**

Duo: Um, Laura?

Laura: Huh? What?

Duo: Eh heh … what are you doing?

Laura: Thinking about starting a new story, see? *points to the boldface title*

Heero: *muttering* I was afraid of that …

Laura: Hmm? Heero, don't mumble. It's impolite.

Heero: I _know._

Laura: Heero, don't be rude!

Heero: *glares*

Duo: Look, all we're trying to say is, you already have other stories going. Why are you starting another one?

Laura: Oh. Well, ya see, I got this really neat idea …

Duo: But Laura –

Laura: …and it sort of kept developing …

Duo: Yeah, but –

Laura: …so I kind of just thought …

Heero: Stop cutting Duo off!

Laura: Geez. Touch-y! What is it, Duo honey?

Duo: It's just … um, shouldn't you maybe finish what you've started before you start something new??

Laura: Oh, don't worry. I'll still be writing my other stories. I just think this will be a nice change from the angst. You know, something more fluffy and cute.

Duo: *brightly* Fluffy?

Heero: *darkly* Cute?!

Laura: Uh huh!

Duo: About what?

Laura: C'mere! *grabs Duo and whispers in his ear*

Duo: *smiles* Yeah …?

Laura: *whisper whisper*

Duo: *wide smiles* Yeah …?

Laura: *whisper whisper*

Duo: *grins* Yeah …?! Hahahahahaha! 

Laura: So, whatcha think? Should I go for it?

Duo: I suppose it wouldn't take _too much time from your other work._

Heero: Duo!!

Duo: Yes, Heero? *bats eyelashes*

_-Wufei saunters in, looking confident, and pauses as he takes in the scene before taking a step or two back. Duo waves at him.-_

Wufei: Why does the onna look so … intent?

Duo: 'Cause she's writin' a new fic about me an' Heero, that's why!

Heero: Duo!!

Duo: What?

Heero: You're supposed to be on my side!

Duo: But I _am, Heero! We're gonna have__ so much fun!_

Heero: … *pales*

Wufei: Heh. Scared of what the onna's going to do to you, Yuy?

Heero: Wouldn't you be?

Wufei: Not really. She leaves me alone. *snickers at Heero*

Laura: Aw, Fei, be nice to Heero.

Wufei: Why should I?

Laura: Oh … I dunno … maybe because I could always think up a nice fic for _you … you and Duo, hanging out all alone for hours and hours and hours …_

Wufei: Oh, no. I don't think so …

Laura: C'mon, Wuffie-kins, you know you want to!

Duo: Yeah, Wuffie-kins, you know you want to!

Wufei: Maxwell! Stop encouraging the onna!

Duo: Eep! Heero, help?

Heero: No. You're on _her side._

Wufei: Ha! You're mine!

Duo: Aw, damn iiiit! *runs from the room with Wufei at his heels*

Laura: Hmmm, anyway … back to the story!

**Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.**

**Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing, etc.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. *Points to above imaginary conversation* See? I'm not _that hyper. *cough_****liescough* Please review, it makes me feel better!**

**_ _ _**

            "02, hurry it up! We haven't got time for your games!" an irate voice demanded harshly in Duo's ear. Duo resisted the urge to reach up and scratch the annoying communication piece out of his ear canal; instead he laughed.

            "Now now, 01. Genius can't be rushed, ya know," he replied, grinning at the reaction he knew he had gotten out of his partner.

            "Baka! Ten seconds!" Heero barked, and Duo grunted as his hands continued their work.

            "Yeah yeah, I hear ya," he muttered, frowning in concentration as he bit absently on the side of his tongue. "Almost there … just a little … ah ha!" With the last of the wiring in place, Duo rocked back on his haunches to examine his handiwork. Dusting his hands off in satisfaction, Duo smiled down on the surprisingly small but immensely powerful explosive.

            "Perfect," he murmured, then shot to his feet. "Okay, 01, ready to commence with Plan Get-the-Hell-Out. How are my options looking?"

            "Slim," Heero replied tersely. "You'll have to pass back through the labs. I'll cover your tracks and meet you at the rendezvous."

            "Okay, gotcha," Duo said, nodding despite the fact that Heero couldn't see him. 

            "And 02? No dumb stuff. Just go," Heero said, his voice steel. Duo rolled his eyes, retrieving his gun from his waistline and striding quickly across the unoccupied room. 

            "Geez, Heero, I ain't stupid," he muttered, sighing as he carefully made his way into the hall. Quickly scanning for traces of stray soldiers, he grinned in satisfaction before hurrying down the cold tiles toward the airtight door of the main laboratories. Duo had to hand it to OZ research facilities; they had a lot of fancy security measures for actually being so unprotected.

            "Okay, I'm at the main lab door. Care to give me a hand?" he asked Heero quietly, keeping his voice down as he practically melted into the wall's corner. There was a slight moment of pause, and then the light on the door's keycard port flashed green.

            "Hn. Get going."

            "Aye aye, Cap'n," Duo muttered in reply, hurrying to get through the door before his pass expired. Making sure the door clicked shut behind him quietly, Duo began to make his way through the main room of the lab. The wide, sterile room was dark and silent, making Duo's footfalls echo loudly in his own ears. He did his best to ignore the tables and counters around him, knowing that it didn't matter what kind of toys the OZ scientists had. They would all be blown up soon anyway. He made his way back to the familiar vent shaft he had come in, his gun going slack in his hand. He grabbed a chair as he neared the wall, pulling it along with him to stand on so that he could climb into the vent without difficulty. 

            "Hey!" 

            Startled by the cry, Duo whirled and nearly toppled from the chair. He found himself looking down on a man in a long, white jacket, who clutched something in his hand and scowled at Duo murderously. Duo brought his gun up, training it on the stranger who had to be an OZ researcher.

            "Look, buddy, I don't wanna hurt you, but you really shouldn'ta bothered me," Duo said, easily concealing his apprehension. He didn't have a lot of time. 

            "What are you doing in here? This is a highly restricted area!" the man snapped, his heavy brows furrowing. 

            "Sorry, got lost from the tour group. Don't worry, I didn't touch anything," Duo said, grinning maniacally. 

            "You're … you're one of _them, aren't you? One of those damned pilots!" _

            Duo's face lost its façade of cheerfulness, replaced by a look of pure and dangerous determination.

            "Wrong answer," Duo growled. "I was gonna be lenient with you, but now that you had to go getting curious I'm afraid there's no other choice. Nobody sees Shinigami without a price!" The man's face looked odd, and suddenly he threw whatever he was holding at Duo. Duo, shocked by the unexpected action, let go of his gun with one hand to catch the object as it sped toward his face. Duo kept his eyes on the researcher, expecting the man to try to run in the distraction, but instead the man charged Duo with a strange glint in his eye.

            The only noise was a slight thudding as the man's body fell to the floor, blood blooming on his formerly pristine coat. Duo smiled grimly, grateful that he had such a wonderful silencer on his gun. Still, he couldn't help but feel unsure. The man had been reaching for Duo's other hand, almost as if he wanted his object back …

            Duo looked into his left fist, examining the small circular object. It was slim and lightweight, a hard metal casing protecting whatever was inside. It had some buttons and a red blinking light near the center of one side. Duo couldn't make sense of it, and shrugged it off. There would be time for speculation later. He kept it closed in his fingers as he turned and slid into the ventilation shaft to make his escape.

            "02, status," Heero's voice interrupted as he scooted down the cramped tunnel. Duo sighed, realizing that Heero had been listening to the whole scene.

            "Unhindered. Just a curious little researcher. I took care of it," Duo replied, his low voice vibrating in the small metal space. He decided to leave it at that, and Heero didn't pry further.

            With the help of his blessedly photogenic memory, Duo made it to the end of the shaft without much trouble. The gigantic fan blades which blocked the opening to the outside were still paused in their motion, courtesy of a glitch Heero had introduced to the computer timetables, and Duo slid through the gaps to jump to the ground a few meters below. He curled into a roll as not to hurt himself, and he came up running. The forest wasn't far, and being out in the open was dangerous. The rendezvous was a park a mile or so though the thin outcropping of trees, and Duo figured he could get there in a couple of minutes. He ran carefully but quickly, leaving little trace of his path as he got farther away from the base.

            The park was unlit and desolate, but with the help of the silvery moonlight Duo was able to find his way to the specific bench where Heero would come. Setting his gun beside him within easy reach, he fished in his pocket for the small detonator he had concealed there. He held it in his palm loosely, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for Heero to arrive. He just wanted to detonate the bomb, call it good, and get back to the safe house. He was tired and viciously hungry; he wondered idly if maybe Quatre would have dinner waiting for them when they returned. The considerate Arabian often did things like that, much to Duo's delight. 

            "Where the hell are ya, Heero?" he asked, setting the detonator next to his gun and reaching up to take the small device out of his ear. He squeezed it between his thumb and index finger, watching it implode upon itself. He flicked the bit of synthetic material away, and sighed. He knew Heero would be doing the same. 

            A figure appeared on the edge of the trees, and Duo reached for his gun. It was an unnecessary action; a second later Duo recognized the shadow as Heero. He stood, tucking his gun away and scooping the detonator up as he took a few steps toward his partner.

            "Are we good to go?" he called softly, watching Heero quickly close the space between them. 

            "Hai," Heero answered curtly. Duo grinned and opened the protective shell covering the detonator's switch, looking in the direction of the facility as he hit it. Although Duo could not actually see the impact of the explosion, he continued to look in its direction with a pleased expression.

            "Well, that's that then, huh Heero?"

            "Hn. Let's go, baka." Heero turned and began to walk in the direction of town. Duo followed him into the trees again, shoving the detonator into his pocket and turning his attention to the foreign device in his other hand. He walked blindly, following the quiet sound of Heero's feet against the underbrush as he turned the disk over several times. It was unlike anything Duo had encountered before.

            He was so engrossed in studying it that he didn't notice when Heero stopped, and he slammed into his partner's back with a surprised cry. He stumbled back, and Heero growled in annoyance. 

            "Watch where you're going, baka! What do you think you're … what's that?" Heero paused in his tirade as he noticed a soft glow from Duo's hands. Duo looked down, just as curious at the dim light projecting from the device. He lifted it closer to his face, frowning in confusion.

            "Dunno … I think you made me hit one of its buttons, Heero. It wasn't glowing before."

            "What _is it?!"_

            "I don't know. That researcher threw it at me before I finished him off. Guess I just kind of kept it when I was escaping. I was gonna see what it was later."

            "Baka," Heero rolled his eyes. "Turn it off."

            "Well, I _would if I knew how, Heero," Duo sighed, giving Heero a disapproving look. "Give me a second." He selected a button and pushed it, but nothing happened. He pushed another, and the light merely flashed momentarily. Digital words scrolled across a small, clear panel near the edge of one side._

            _Systems ready …_

            "Huh? The hell is that?" Duo muttered, narrowing his eyes at the disk. Heero sighed impatiently.

            "Just give it here, baka, and let me …" He reached out to snatch the device from Duo, and his words fell away as he grabbed onto its smooth surface. He felt a prick, almost as if the device had stung him, and he scowled.

            "Ow," Duo grumbled, glowering as he felt a sudden stab of dull pain in his fingers. He tried to jerk the disk away from Heero.

            "Let go, Heero, I'm not done."

            "Yes you are. Give it to me."

            "No!" 

            "Duo, would you just …!" 

            "Heero, I just wanna …!"

            Their protests were cut off by a sudden, blinding flash of light, and their simultaneous cries of surprise rang through the otherwise quiet forest as they were knocked away from each other by some unseen force. The disk toppled to the ground as the two young men crashed to the earth, unconscious. The light slowly faded to nothingness, leaving the woods dark and silent once more.

            Heero's eyelashes fluttered, and he groaned quietly as consciousness reclaimed him. His head throbbed mercilessly, and his stomach lurched irritably in hunger. He squinted his eyes open to meet blinding sunlight, and squeezed them shut again as he suppressed another moan. His whole body felt heavy and weak, and his limbs tingled oddly. He turned his face, frowning as leaves and twigs brushed against his skin. Forcing himself to sit, he held himself up with shaky arms and took a few deep breaths until the dizzy feeling subsided. 

            He turned his face to the ground and carefully opened his eyes, keeping them comfortably narrow as he focused on the dirt and leaves below him. He was practically underneath a large shrub that had been shading him from the worst of the sun, but as he sat taller the light grew much brighter. 

            For some reason his memory was fuzzy; he couldn't remember what happened. There had been a mission, he knew, but it had gone well as far as he could recall. They had just been going back to the safe house, and then …

            "Duo?" Heero called, his voice weak and awkward even in his own ears. There was no reply, and Heero grimaced as he raised one careful hand to brush his hair back out of his face. His head felt heavy. As he lowered his hand again, he paused to stare at it. For some reason his hand looked odd. He looked paler than normal. Maybe it was just the OZ uniform that he wore. He was glad suddenly for the long sleeves of the ridiculous outfit; he shivered involuntarily. 

            "Duo?" he tried again, shifting his body to sit without so much pressure on his arms. There was still no answer, and Heero frowned. Something was wrong with his voice, but he didn't know what. He forced his head up to look around more thoroughly.

            He blinked several times, trying to better focus his eyes. He was hallucinating, he had to be. Because a few meters from him, lying face down in the underbrush, was himself. He gave a shuddering breath and leaned closer, shaking his head a little in disbelief. Something was terribly wrong. It couldn't be him, but it certainly wasn't Duo! 

            He inched closer, and suddenly he stopped short. Something was keeping him in place. There was a strange pressure to the back of his head. He was caught on something. He turned his face to look over his shoulder, and his breath hitched. A long rope of hair, unfurling in places and covered with bits of twigs and leaves, stretched out behind him into the bush he had been laying under, apparently snagged on one of the heavier branches.

            The blood in his eardrums drowned out his gasp of surprise, and his vision swam. His braid was caught. _His braid. He had a __braid! _

            He didn't even have sufficient time to give a reaction. Darkness swept around him, stealing his awareness once more and sending him falling back to the ground.

_Continued _


	2. I'm You, You're Me

**Title: Trading Faces**

**Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.**

**Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing, etc.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. Guess I'll have to settle for owning this story (not a fair consolation if you ask me…) Please tell me what you think in a review … I just love to hear what you guys think!**

-           -           -

            Duo woke to a persistent prodding in his ribs. He groaned, rolling onto his other side and curling more tightly into a fetal position. It was too early; he was still tired. 

            "Duo! Wake up!" someone hissed at him. His brows knitted in irritation and whimpered.

            "Ngh. Too early ta get up. Leave me 'lone," he mumbled. He jolted to further consciousness as a sharp stab of discomfort hit him in the back, and he cracked his eyes open as he scooted away from whatever was causing the pain.

            "Go 'way!" he growled.

            "Duo! Get up. Now!"

            Duo was about to throw back a scathing comment of his own, when his mind came to a screeching halt. The voice yelling at him sounded an awful lot like his own voice. He raised a hand to rub at his face blearily.

            "Hmm, I don't _feel drunk," he muttered to himself. "Must be dreamin'…"_

            "Baka! This is no dream! Get _up!" The last syllable was accented by another kick to his torso, and Duo snapped. Sitting up abruptly, he glared up to face his tormenter._

            "Hey! Would you just shut up and … uh …" His words tripped and fell away as he blinked a few times, wondering if the sun was screwing with his eyes. Towering above him, an expression of annoyance and exasperation on his face, was himself. He reached up calmly and slapped himself.

            "Okay, Duo, time to wake up now!" he announced loudly. The doppelganger scowled even more deeply, and collapsed onto the loamy ground next to him.

            "Duo," he said with carefully concise words. "This is real. You're me."

            "Wha?" Duo said, frowning at the cryptic words. The young man before him rolled his eyes slightly.

            "Aren't you even listening to yourself?"

            "Look buddy,_ you're the one that isn't making sense, not me!" Duo said defensively._

            "No, I mean actually listen to yourself. Your voice."

            "What's wrong with my … voice?" Duo began, his words growing more incredulous as he took in the sounds of the words. "Whoa. Something's wrong with my voice."

            "No, your voice is fine. It's just that _you aren't using __your voice. I am."_

            "Huh?" Duo said. "What are you saying?"

            "I'm _saying," the doppelganger said, deadly serious, "that I'm Heero. And you're me."_

            "Say what?" Duo frowned. Heero smirked, the expression looking odd on a face that was supposed to be _his._

            "Where is your braid, Duo?" he asked simply. Duo snorted.

            "Geez, this is a pretty lame dream, ya know," he muttered, reaching behind his head anyway to humor his companion. "Because I don't know what you're … ah! Ah! I have short hair! Where the _fuck is my braid?!"_

            "I told you," Heero said, his tone biting. "You're me, and I'm you. What the hell happened, Duo?"

            "But … but … this isn't happening!" Duo protested.

            "Trust me, it is," Heero said, his voice reverberating with displeasure.

            "No! No, I'm just gonna sit here and wait to wake up …"

            "Baka! Just _look at yourself!" Heero hissed, grabbing Duo's arms suddenly and pulling him uncomfortably close to his face. Duo, too shocked to break away, found himself staring into eyes that should have been his. He gasped at the small reflection he saw there. He was looking at Heero. __He was __Heero! Forgetting to breathe for a moment, he roughly shoved Heero away from him and scrambled backward through the dirt and leaves._

            "No … freakin' … way …" he muttered, his lungs kicking in at last. 

            "This is all your fault, baka!" Heero snarled suddenly, and Duo paused to blink at him. Something about Heero being in Duo's body must have made the usually stoic boy more expressive than normal, because the frustration and fury he was feeling was clearly evident on his face. It was Deathglare coupled with Shinigami, and it chilled Duo to look at it.

            "My … fault?"

            "Yes, yours! _You brought that stupid device along from OZ when you should have just destroyed it! __You didn't have the sense to just leave it be! That's what did this to us. It has to be! Mission __failed, Duo. Because of __you!"_

            "Hold on a minute! I didn't fail any mission! I blew up that facility good and proper!" Duo defended himself.

            "Yes. And now, what about the next mission? Or the next?! How are we to function properly when we don't have our own bodies?!"

            "Oh fuck … oh _fuck!" Duo groaned. "Look, I'm sorry, Heero. But don't say that this is all my fault. If you'd just backed off and not tried to take it from me, then I could have fixed that stupid disk and this wouldn't have happened."_

            "Whatever. It was _your responsibility. You find it and make it change us back!" Heero demanded hotly. Duo merely stared, the strangeness of having his own voice chew him out a little too overwhelming. _

            "Okay. Fine," he finally said. "Help me look for it?" 

            Before Heero had a chance to answer, there was a shout from the forest around them. They both flattened to the ground instinctively, hidden behind a rather leafy shrub. The voice had come from the other side somewhere. They looked at each other, and Duo motioned that he was going to take a look. Heero shook his head, but Duo didn't pay him any heed. With careful, slow movements, he cautiously peeked up and over the top of the vegetation into the forest beyond.

            "Holy shit, it's Wufei and Trowa," Duo gasped, crouching lower in the brush. Heero grimaced. 

            "Did they see us?" he whispered.

            "Yuy!" Wufei's voice called out, answering the question. 

            "Way to go, Heero," Duo muttered darkly. Heero frowned at him.

            "_You're Heero! He saw __you!"_

            "Oh yeah," Duo said, and he suddenly grabbed Heero's arm. "Listen, we can't let them find us like this! They're gonna think we're insane!"

            "What would you like to do then?! Run away?!" Heero retorted. 

            "No, but … but we gotta come up with something quick, Heero, or they're gonna find out!" Duo said frantically. 

            "We'll just each have to act like the other person and hope they don't notice," Heero said simply. Duo stared at him, and sighed in defeat.

            "No offense, Heero, but you can't act worth shit," he said. 

            "So you have a better idea?!" 

            Duo glanced up nervously at where Trowa and Wufei were approaching, biting his lip absently. The pair disappeared for a moment in a dip in the landscape, and Duo made a quick decision.

            "Sorry, Heero man," he said quietly.

            "Duo? What …?" Heero began, looking at Duo oddly. Duo didn't allow himself a second thought. He drew back his fist and hit Heero squarely in the face, sending him to the earth with a hollow thud. Shaking his hand to rid himself of the stinging pain, he looked down at the unconscious figure. This was all together too weird. He'd just hit himself in the face. Except it wasn't really him, it was Heero. He was sitting immobile, contemplating that very issue, when the other two pilots came upon them.

            "Yuy?" Wufei asked as they approached, looking at the unconscious figure on the ground. "Is Maxwell all right?"

            Duo looked up at Wufei, startled, but quickly put on what he hoped was an apathetic face. 

            "Hn. Concussed," he explained tersely, congratulating himself on how much he sounded like the young man he was trying to emulate. Trowa knelt next to Heero, believing for all the world that it was Duo, and picked him up carefully.

            "I assume that's why you weren't able to make it back to the safe house?" Wufei asked, one eyebrow raised.    

            "Yes," Duo said, and consciously closed his mouth before he could say more. Heero wouldn't say more. Would he? However, Wufei just nodded and motioned in the direction they had come.   
            "Let's go," he said. "Figures it would be Maxwell's fault."

            "Was not!" Duo protested before he acknowledged that the words had left his mouth, and fought the urge to blush with embarrassment or cover his mouth when Wufei turned sharply to look at him with disbelief. "I mean, he didn't _choose to be injured." __Please buy that, please buy that, Duo pleaded in his mind. Wufei watched him warily for a moment more, then nodded slightly and looked away. _

            "Whatever you say, Yuy."

            "I'm sure Wufei didn't mean it like that," Trowa interjected, still carrying Heero effortlessly.

            "Hn," Duo grunted, feeling absolutely valid in doing so, and crossed his arms over his chest as he began to brood. Luckily no one thought that odd in the least, and the trio continued on in silence. Duo began to notice a stinging in his upper thigh, and felt a limp grow in his step as they walked farther. It was a few moments before anyone else noticed.

            "Heero?" Trowa's voice drew his attention. "How badly are you hurt?"

            "I'm not," Duo said, keeping his face on the ground ahead of him. He didn't remember Heero saying anything about getting hurt, and the boy had seemed fine last night. He must just be aching from sleeping on the ground, he reasoned.

            "Then why is there blood on your leg?" Trowa inquired casually. Duo looked down, his eyes growing wide at the bloody stain on his left pant leg. He stumbled in surprise, and Wufei caught him quickly.

            "How much blood have you lost, Yuy?" he asked dryly. "Are you going to pass out?" 

            "No!" Duo protested. "I don't even remember being hurt!"

            "He might be as bad off as Duo," Trowa said quietly. "Wufei, give him a hand from now on, okay?"

            "I'm telling you, it's not my blood! It can't be!" Duo protested, trying to shake Wufei away from him. The young Chinese man held fast, and Duo gave up after a few tense seconds of struggling. 

            "At least now we know why you're acting so strange," Wufei said to Duo, steering him through the woods carefully. "Do you have any other injuries, Yuy?" 

            "No," Duo said bitterly, forgetting his situation for a moment as his indignation grew. He was Heero, he had to remember that. He couldn't yell at Wufei, at least not in a believable manner. What would Heero say to get Wufei to lay the hell off?

            "Wufei," he growled finally, "let me go. I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own!" He shot Wufei a glare, hoping it looked remotely like Heero's usual glare of death, and felt relieved when Wufei's hand fell away from him.

            "As you wish, Yuy," Wufei replied tersely, and that was that. Duo blinked at the ease in which the problem had been solved. Of course, Heero and Wufei had always had a sort of understanding when it came to pride. That had to be it. 

            "How stable is Duo, Heero?" Trowa asked. 

            "He'll be fine," Duo shrugged. Truthfully there was nothing wrong with the unconscious boy, but he wasn't about to let on. 

            "Can you manage him, Barton?" Wufei asked the tall young man.

            "Yes. He isn't heavy and we don't have that far to go."

            Duo tuned out their voices, too wrapped up in his own thoughts. He hadn't given the truth ample time to sink in, and as it became more solid he began to feel queasy. _Okay, Duo, don't panic, he told himself. __Just wait until Heero wakes up and use the disk to …the disk!_

_            "Oh hell!" he burst, pausing in his step to scowl back in the direction that they had come. The disk! How could he have been so stupid as to forget the disk?! They needed that thing if they were ever going to fix this mess …!  
            "What is it, Yuy?" Wufei's voice brought him back to the present, and he looked over to find the two waiting for an answer._

            "It's … nothing," he said, shaking his head a little. There was no time to go back now, not with the others there to ask questions. He'd just have to remember the way back so that he could come find it later. "Nothing." 

            Trowa and Wufei shared a concerned look, but chose not to say a word as they continued walking. Duo followed, trailing just slightly behind the two, breathing a silent sigh of relief. The feeling faded quickly to nervous frustration.

            They arrived back at the quiet safe house without incident, and Wufei secured the perimeter as Trowa carried Heero inside. Duo trailed behind him.

            "Where's Quatre?" he asked, noticing no sign of the blonde.

            "On a mission. It came up this morning. We had to promise to go look for you two before he would agree to go," Trowa said. "Let me set Duo down, and then I'll have a look at your leg." 

            "I told you, I'm fine," he said sharply, letting his ramshackle feelings out as angry words. It seemed to suit Heero's character, after all. Trowa simply deposited Heero on the sofa and disappeared momentarily. Duo went immediately to Heero's side and picked him up, trying not to look at him. He didn't want to look at his own unconscious body. Trowa and Wufei couldn't be around when Heero woke up; besides, he and Heero had a lot to work out.

            Trowa returned, carrying a first aid kit, and frowned slightly as he saw Duo holding Heero. 

            "Put him down and let me look at your leg," he instructed tersely. Duo scowled.

            "Not necessary," he said, approaching Trowa and grabbing the medical kit from him awkwardly. "I'll take care of both of us."

            "Heero? Did something happen?" Trowa asked, quirking an eyebrow. _Damn! Duo cursed mentally, and made a break for the stairs._

            "No," he said as he passed, hoping that his leg would hold out. He managed to get up the stairs and into his room, hoping surprise would keep Trowa from following immediately. Dumping Heero on the bed, he turned around and promptly locked the door. 

            "Well shit," he muttered to himself, glancing at the unaware figure splayed across the mattress. "I am so ready to wake up now."

            "He did _what?" Wufei asked, frowning in confusion._

            "I told you. He carried Duo up here to his room, and locked them both in there," Trowa explained, jerking his thumb in the direction of the wooden door as if it proved his point.

            "Well, we can't just leave them both in there, what with Maxwell concussed and Heero bleeding all over the place," Wufei said in irritation. 

            "He took the first aid kit too," Trowa pointed out. Wufei rolled his eyes.

            "Genius," he muttered. "And that makes it all better? Yuy! Open this door now before the delirium gets any stronger!"

            "Go away!" came a muffled voice from behind the barrier. 

            "Yuy! Has Maxwell infected you?! Open up now!"

            "Wufei," Trowa said calmly. "If Heero doesn't want us in there, we aren't going to get in."

            "And just what do you suggest then?" 

            "We bide our time and come back later. We can break in when he's stopped expecting it."

            "I … I suppose," Wufei conceded. "I just wonder what Heero is up to."

            "I'm guessing something went wrong on the mission. He's probably waiting for Duo to wake up so he can chew him out," Trowa said. Wufei snorted.

            "I can't blame him," he admitted. "Although I am curious. The mission seemed to be a success."

            "Well, you know Duo. He probably just played some kind of joke on Heero."

            "Ah. Say no more."

            Duo sat hunched against the door, listening until he heard his two friends leave. Sighing, he turned and rummaged through the first aid kit at his side, preparing to bandage whatever injury he had on his leg. 

            "Well, Heero, we're really screwed this time, huh?" he said as he ripped his pant leg easily. "I guess I'm not all that better an actor than you, after all. Holy …! Heero was gonna walk home with _this gash on his leg?!" He examined the torn skin a bit more before retrieving the antiseptic balm from the kit. "You're crazy, Heero. And so am I, apparently. What the heck are we gonna do?" _

            There was no answer from the unconscious boy, and Duo sighed before continuing to tend to his wound in silence. He was _really ready to wake up._

_Continued_


	3. Our Little Secret

**Title: Trading Faces**

**Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.**

**Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing, etc. Suggestions of 3x4 in this chapter, too, in case you care to know.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. Guess I'll have to settle for owning this story (not a fair consolation if you ask me…). Please tell me what you think in a review … I just love to hear what you guys think!**

-           -           -

            It was mid-afternoon, and Trowa cautiously nudged Duo's door open. It hadn't been hard to coax the lock to open; the house was old and the locks dilapidated. He waited a moment before looking in, knowing the dangers of not giving Heero time to react if he wanted to. But nothing came, and so Trowa entered the room.

            Letting his lips pull into a rare smile, he looked at the two occupants of the room as they slept peacefully. The figure on the bed was curled into himself, covered mostly by the blankets piled around him. His frayed length of braid was the only part truly visible, snaking out and falling off the side of the mattress.

            Heero's figure was sprawled on the floor near the bed, his head pillowed on his arms and his injured leg propped carefully on a roll of torn cloth. He was clad in only a pair of Duo's pants, which Trowa wondered about until he realized that it was Duo's room, after all. Duo's clothes were the only ones available. 

            With silent grace, Trowa bent and gathered the scattered components of the first aid kit that littered the floor. Heero must have been exhausted to leave the supplies in such a mess, Trowa mused as he replaced each piece and carefully shut the lid. Carrying it with him as he straightened, he cast one last glance around the room before turning to leave the two in silence. They deserved their rest, after all. There would be time for explanations later.

*          *          *

            Heero opened his eyes to a pounding headache, and he groaned slightly as he rubbed at his face with the heel of his hand. There was a shuffling noise to his right, and he turned to find a face that should have been his watching him. Duo.

            "You hit me," were the first words out of his mouth.

            "Heh heh," Duo laughed nervously, the expression awkward on a face that wasn't used to the feeling. "How ya feelin', Heero?"

            "You _hit me." Heero bolted upright in bed, sleepiness replaced by anger._

            "Whoa! Sorry, Heero, but I had to do it! I panicked!" Duo said, holding his palms up in a sign of peace. "The others never would have believed that you were me! You couldn't act like me if your life depended on it."  
            "Oh yeah?" 

            "Besides, you didn't tell me you had been hurt!" Duo switched gears, pointing to his thigh. "I had to walk all the way home with a gaping wound in your …er, my leg, and I didn't even notice it was there! The guys were looking at me like I was crazy!"

            "That's because you _are, baka!"_

            "Well, it really blew my cover! It's hard to act like you when the others already think I've hit my head one too many times or something."

            "So … the others know?"

            "No! They thought I was just a little woozy from the blood loss, so they didn't think anything of it. Heero why didn't you _tell me you were hurt?"_

            "Hn. It wasn't imperative."

            "Spouting blood from your leg isn't imperative?!"

            "It had healed over well enough. You must have torn it open again."

            "Well you have one heck of a pain tolerance, that's for sure."

            "Hn," Heero frowned, and swung his legs out of bed. "Back to the subject, baka. Just why did you feel the need to knock me out? And why do we have to hide this from the others, anyway?"

            "Gee, I dunno, Heero," Duo rolled his eyes. "What were we supposed to say. 'Hey, guys, mission accomplished! Oh, except for the fact that Heero and I switched bodies and have no idea what's going on, but don't worry we aren't crazy, honest?' I'm sure _that would have gone over well."_

            "You have a point," Heero admitted reluctantly. "But what else can we do?"

            "Uh, get the disk and try to fix ourselves back to normal?"

            "It's worth a try. Where is it?" Heero asked. At that Duo grew nervous, and Heero's scowl returned.

            "Duo …"

            "Look, I didn't have time to find it before Wu and Tro showed up! I couldn't exactly ask them to wait while I looked for it! We'll just have to go back for it sometime when they aren't paying attention to us."

            "And in the meantime?"

            "We'll just have to pretend to be each other," Duo shrugged.

            "Will this involve knocking me out again?" Heero growled. Duo winced.

            "No. I'm sorry about that, Heero, really. It was a dumb thing to do," he admitted. "We're going to really have to work together if we're gonna pull this off."

            "For once, I agree," Heero said. "If you're so insistent that the others don't find out."

            "Do _you want to be the one to tell them?"_

            "…No."

            "Well then. We'll just get ourselves back to normal and they'll be none the wiser."

            "We'll have to tell them about the disk eventually. What if OZ has more?"

            "If OZ … oh god!" Duo gasped. "OZ!"

            "Duo, what is it?"

            "The researcher I killed. He threw the disk at me, and before I shot him it looked like he was almost rushing me … trying to get it back. He was going to try and steal my body, Heero!" Heero scowled, and stood up.

            "We need to look into this."

            "Yeah, I know. But maybe they all got destroyed in the explosion?"

            "We still need to look into it."

            "Sure, sure. But I don't want to alarm the guys. Not yet," Duo said. 

            "…Agreed."

            "Okay then? What now?"

            "We learn to act like each other," Heero said tonelessly. "But before that … I need compensation."

            "Huh?" Duo looked up at Heero from where he sat, and at the malicious glint in his eye Duo jumped to his feet in defense. "Heero?"

            "I don't appreciate being hit, Duo, especially by an ally. I want compensation. Now get over here!"

            "No!" Duo shook his head, scrambling for the door. "I said I was sorry, okay? Stay away!"

            "Duo!" Heero growled, and Duo could tell he was serious. He flung the door open without a second thought and ran from the room. 

            "You're insane!" he shot back, running down the hall. 

            "I'm just going to hit you, baka! Come back here!" 

            Wufei looked up with a puzzled expression on his stern face, listening intently to the crashing sounds from the second floor. Trowa paused next to the stove where he was making dinner, raising curious eyes to the ceiling.

            "It seems they woke up," he pointed out dryly, glancing at Wufei. The young Chinese man nodded.

            "It looks like Maxwell was in for it after all."

            The peaceful kitchen suddenly exploded in chaos as Heero's form charged into the room, deftly leaping one of the wooden chairs in his scramble for the door. 

            "Move," he instructed Trowa gruffly, leaving the russet-haired boy mere seconds to get out of the way. 

            "Heero, what …?" Trowa began, but was cut off by an annoyed shout from a voice that could only be Duo's.

            "Get back here! You can't run forever!" he roared, his violet eyes blazing with fury as he dashed into the room. Heero didn't spare him a look, he simply took off out the door. The braided boy was after him in a second, ignoring the two confused pilots left in their wake. 

            "Well," Wufei said finally, blinking as the silence overcame them once more. "That was unusual." 

            "It won't hurt that much, baka!" Heero shouted as he continued to chase Duo, forgetting the scene they had just caused for the moment. He would worry about that later, after Duo had gotten what he deserved.

            "You don't wanna punch me, Heero! You'd only be hurting yourself!" Duo threw back, scrambling across the grass. 

            "Seeing as I'm not in my body right now, I don't really care if it gets one bruise!" Heero snarled, lunging for Duo and coming up short. "Stop fighting! It would be all over by now if you had just taken it like a man!"

            "But I'm not a man, Heero, I'm _you!" Duo said, leaping back instinctively to avoid Heero's hands as the enraged young man came after him. "I gotta admit, Heero, your body's got stamina. I think you're faster than …well, I'm faster than…. Well, you know what I mean. This body is faster than that one!"_

            "I suppose I'll take that as a compliment," Heero smirked. "But that doesn't get you out of this! Stop moving!"

            "Yeah, like I'm gonna listen to you!" 

            "Don't make me take advantage of your injury," Heero said, and Duo's smile faltered slightly.

            "Wh-what do you mean? I'm doing just fine."

            "I'll chase you into the woods, and you won't be able to run easily over all the underbrush," Heero said calmly.

            "You wouldn't. That's low."

            "You're not being honorable. Why should I?"

            "Ah, you're crazy!" Duo said, and took off running again. Heero was ready, and with a cry of effort he managed to grab Duo's arm. Pulling him with all the strength he could muster, he twirled the boy around and slugged him in the gut. Duo wheezed, folding over and clutching his abdomen as he gasped for breath.

            "Hn. See, that wasn't so bad. I didn't even hit your face," Heero said. "I didn't hit you that hard, baka, so you can stop acting winded."

            "That's so low, Heero," Duo rasped, glaring viciously at his companion. "What happened to working together?"

            "We will work together. Now that we're even, we can start acting."

            "Well, you're lucky the guys didn't follow us. They have to be at least slightly weirded out by that little scene we just caused," Duo said. "They're gonna wonder why it looked like I was chasing you through the house on some kind of death rampage. Usually it's the other way around, you know?"

            "They are intelligent enough not to ask," Heero shrugged. "And if they do, we won't explain it. They don't need to know everything."

            "Yeah, I guess," Duo replied, keeping a hand pressed to his stomach protectively. "I was already beat up. Why'd you have to make it worse?"

            "You will heal quickly," Heero said. "It's _my body, remember?"_

            "Your faith in me is less than comforting," Duo muttered. 

            "I could say the same to you," Heero shot back, then turned to look back toward the safe house. "I suppose we should head back then, before they get curious."

            "Yeah. You ready to pull off the act of your life?"

            "I don't really have a choice, now do I?"

            "Nope!" Duo grinned, throwing an arm around Heero's shoulders. Heero shrugged him off rigidly.

            "Stop that," he said. "And stop smiling. I do not smile like that."

            "Only if you stop scowling, Heero," Duo replied lightly. "I never look that pissed off, unless something major has happened. You smile, and I'll stop."

            "Hn. Fine."

            "It's not hard, Heero. This'll be easy, right?"

            Heero didn't answer him, he only quickened his pace toward the house. He couldn't think of one easy thing about being Duo Maxwell.

            They re-entered the kitchen quietly, Duo trailing behind Heero. They both looked up in relative surprise when they saw the occupants of the room. Quatre had returned, and was sitting at the table with Wufei nursing a steaming cup of what was probably some kind of tea. Duo immediately wiped the surprise and panic from his face, doing his best impression of the Perfect Soldier. Heero had managed a fairly-decent smile, considering he really had no idea what he was doing.

            "Hey guys," Quatre said brightly. "Are you both all right? Did something happen on your mission? When you both didn't return, we all thought … Duo, what happened to your face?" Heero raised a self-conscious hand to trace the purplish bruise immerging on his face, and shrugged casually. 

            "It was nothing," he said, doing a surprisingly good job of sounding cheerful. "Some idiot thought it would be a good idea to try and knock me out. I got him back, though, no worries. What about your mission, Q? Everything okay with you?"

            Duo was, without a doubt, stunned. It sounded just like him. True, Heero did have his voice, but the words he had used sounded just like something he would say. Duo was impressed; Heero obviously didn't ignore him _all the time, if he could imitate him so well._

            "Oh, everything's fine," Quatre grinned. "I was worried about you guys, though. Trowa was telling me that they had to go retrieve you? You were concussed, Duo?"

            "Uh … I was?" Heero said, turning to frown slightly at Duo. There was a glint in his eyes that demanded explanation.

            "Yes, baka, you were. You obviously don't remember," Duo said tersely, answering the look with one of his own. He'd have to explain later. 

            "Oh … yeah, I guess I don't." There was an awkward pause where Duo and Heero merely stared at each other, and the others exchanged confused glances. Heero finally cleared his throat, and smiled widely. "Anyway, Tro, when's dinner? I'm starving!"

            Those simple words broke the tension, and Duo would have sighed relief if it wouldn't have been taboo for his persona. Heero must have sensed his feelings, however, because he turned to smirk slightly at Duo before going to the table and plopping into the chair next to Quatre. Just as he would have done. Duo fought a smile and slowly went to take Heero's place at the table.

            "It'll be ready in a minute, Duo."

*          *          *

            "I'm getting some weird vibes from those two," Quatre said quietly from where he sat on the bed, watching Trowa sift through the dresser of the room that they shared. "Something is going on with those two; I could sense it all through dinner."

            "They've been acting strange ever since they came back from the last mission," Trowa said, yanking out a random t-shirt and turning to give Quatre a reassuring look. "As far as we can tell, nothing went wrong with the mission itself. It's personal, whatever it is."

            "That makes it even more disconcerting. Do you think … something is going on between them?" Quatre said, reaching up to rub at his chest absently. "It's such an awkward feeling, and I can't place it no matter how hard I try …"

            "Don't worry about it, Quatre," Trowa said gently, reaching out to softly tousle the blond's hair. "They'll sort it out eventually, whatever it is. Duo isn't one to keep his feelings bottled up. If something is bothering him, he'll let Heero know."

            "What if it's something bothering Heero?"

            "I highly doubt that is the case."

            "Oh?"

            "Just before you arrived back, Duo was chasing Heero through the house rather aggressively," Trowa said. "Wufei and I thought it best not to pry."

            "I did see the two of them out in the yard when I got home, arguing about something," Quatre offered helpfully. "I didn't bother to look too closely, though. I was too tired." As if to accentuate his words, the blond yawned widely. Trowa smiled softly, and reached out to give him a slight squeeze. 

            "You're exhausted. Why don't you try and get some sleep?"

            "Hmm, all right. You coming to bed soon?"

            "I have a few things to take care of, then I'll be here. I expect you to be asleep by then, but I'll be here when you wake up."

            "Mmkay," Quatre nodded sleepily. "Good night then, Trowa." Trowa leaned down, brushing his lips against Quatre's forehead briefly.

            "Good night, Quatre," he whispered, and then turned to leave the room.

            Upstairs, Duo sighed as he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. Running one callused hand through his short, messy mop of hair, he frowned. He missed the comforting weight of his braid. Heero's hair was weird. It never stayed in one place, and it kept falling into his eyes at all the wrong times. 

            Someone pounded on the door, and Duo froze. Turning from the mirror, he looked at the closed door suspiciously.

            "What?" 

            "Duo!" a voice hissed back quietly. "Open up!" Duo hurried to the door, flinging it open to meet Heero, an exceptionally passive look on his face.

            "Something wrong?" he asked immediately, wondering why the boy was interrupting him.

            "Hn," Heero replied, his gaze hardening. "I never take that long in the bathroom. Get out."

            "No one else is up here, Heero," Duo pointed out.

            "I don't care," Heero said. "It will attract suspicion if someone does."

            "Whatever. Fine, I'm finished anyway," Duo said grumpily, pushing past Heero into the hall. "Goodnight." He started down the hall, but then Heero interrupted him.

            "Duo," he said quietly, and Duo looked over his shoulder to find Heero smirking at him. "You're going to your own room. You'd better sleep in my room. I'll take yours."

            Duo's eyes widened considerably, and he shook his head.

            "No way, man! No freaking way am I leaving you alone with all of my stuff!"

            "You'd be alone with my stuff," Heero pointed out.

            "I don't care! Your stuff consists of your laptop, which you'll probably take to put under your pillow while you sleep anyway! No! I'm sleeping in _my room, case closed."_

            "You're being terribly irrational for someone who doesn't want the others to be suspicious," Heero pointed out dryly.

            "Yeah, but …!" Duo began, then deflated with a frustrated growl. "I hate you, Heero."

            "It's not my fault. It's logic," Heero shrugged slightly. 

            "Fine. You sleep in my room then. But I'm not sleeping in yours. We'll stay in the same room," Duo said. Heero frowned in confusion.

            "And _how is that less suspicious?"_

            "Look, we'll just close the door to your room and the guys will be none the wiser. Not like they'd come barging in on you in the middle of the night or anything. We'll shut my door too, and no one will know the difference."

            "…Fine," Heero conceded after a moment. "But Duo?"

            "Yeah?"

            "You're sleeping on the floor."

_Continued_


	4. Suspicions and Theories

**Title: Trading Faces**

**Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.**

**Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing, etc.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. Guess I'll have to settle for owning this story (not a fair consolation if you ask me…) **

**A/N: Wow, it just keeps going, doesn't it? Let me know if you like, or if you don't. Thanks to Elle-FaTe2x1, bunetwo, Clairol, Kaya, and Natasha for their reviews so far! It just makes my day, thanks guys! Extra special thanks to Natasha for putting up with my crazy questions – it helps, honest! *grin* That said, here we go with Chapter 4.**

-           -           -

            It was the middle of the night; the house was still and the room was dark save for the soft moonlight that filtered through the gap in the curtains. Duo tossed back and forth irritably, trying in vain to get a comfortable position on the floor of his bedroom. Heero had surrendered one pillow and the top quilt from the bed to him, and had threatened him to stay quiet before crawling into bed and promptly falling asleep. Duo glared up at the mattress, knowing that Heero was up there somewhere. Heero was being cruel.

            "This sucks," he mumbled to himself, turning onto his stomach and slamming his face into his pillow repeatedly. "This is my room, after all. Why do I gotta sleep on the floor?" The only answer was Heero's slow, even breathing, and Duo collapsed into his pillow with a whimper of frustration. 

            There was no way he was getting any sleep on the floor. Making a quick decision, he stood with his blanket and pillow in tow. Stepping toward the bed and towering over the mattress, Duo dropped his bedding on the edge and reached out to push Heero.

            "C'mon, shove over, Heero," he said softly. Heero made a sort of growling noise, but he rolled away from Duo's hands nonetheless. Duo quickly took the vacated place before Heero could reclaim it, pulling his pillow up to rest under his head and dragging the quilt up to his chin. 

            "See. It's not so bad," he murmured, feeling almost instantly better as he nestled into the soft bed. "Night, Heero." Heero didn't hear him, being deep in slumber, and it wasn't long before Duo was fast asleep as well.

*          *          *

            "Heero?" Quatre called, tapping gently on the closed door of Japanese boy's room. There was still no answer, so Quatre cautiously reached down and turned the knob.

            "Heero?" he asked again, poking his head into the room. The bed was neatly made, not slept in, and Quatre frowned in confused worry as he pulled out of the room and softly shut the door again. More than likely Heero had fallen asleep in his gundam, or slumped over his laptop somewhere … Quatre just hoped that the stoic young man had slept at all. Sometimes Heero pushed himself too hard.

            Although it was still early, Quatre paused at Duo's doorway on his way back to the stairwell. Maybe the braided pilot would have an idea where Quatre could find Heero. Knowing it was useless to knock, as nothing seemed to faze a sleeping Duo, Quatre simply opened the door and walked in.

            He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came as his brain registered the sight before him. There were _two people in Duo's bed. Not just any two people … Heero. Heero's arm was slung lightly over Duo, who lay facing away from the Japanese pilot. Quatre stood rooted for a moment, too shocked to act, and finally backed quietly out of the room. He shut the door without a click, and turned to bound down the stairs in his haste to distance himself from what he had witnessed. _

            His cheeks were burning by the time he got back downstairs, and he could hardly meet Trowa's eyes as the tall young man came out of their bedroom. Trowa noticed his odd behavior immediately.

            "Quatre? Something wrong?"

            "Hmm? Oh, no Trowa."

            "Did you find Heero?" Trowa asked, and frowned when Quatre didn't answer. "Quatre? Did you?"

            "He's still asleep," Quatre said simply, turning and hurrying to the kitchen before Trowa had time to pry. He knew something had been going on between Heero and Duo, but he had never suspected _that. He couldn't tell Trowa because it was obvious that they didn't want the others to know, but Quatre couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. It's not as though he, or any of them, would have minded. He just wanted everyone to have a chance at happiness however they could._

            In the fuzziness of his sleep-induced haze, Heero burrowed more deeply into the warmth around him. There was something warm in the bed with him; it was comfortable. He reached out to clutch it closer to himself, and a vague mumble jarred him to further alertness. He blinked the morning sun out of his eyes before looking ahead of him, and gave a strangled cry of surprise as he suddenly recoiled. 

            Duo was in the bed with him. It was even worse, considering Duo looked like him; it was not something Heero had been expecting to see. With a snarl he reached out and pushed Duo roughly off the edge of the mattress.

            Duo awoke with a yelp of panic, tumbling to the floor with a quilt tangled around his body. Cursing, he looked up to find Heero glaring down at him from over the side of the bed. 

            "Just what do you think you're doing?" he demanded. Duo struggled to sit, rubbing the back of his head.

            "I couldn't fall asleep on the floor," he retorted, scowling. "Geez, I didn't know you were gonna _attack me …"_

            "I told you to stay on the floor!"

            "Well, this is my room and I can do what I want, so there!" Heero snorted at the childish words, half expecting Duo to stick his tongue out at the end of the remark.

            "You forget, it's _my room now."_

            "Really. So that means all your stuff is mine, then? I get your laptop and gun?"

            "Don't. Even. Think about it!" Heero snapped. Duo chuckled and pushed himself to his feet, a satisfied smirk on his face.

            "Okay, you can keep them. And I get to keep my stuff, including my bed if I want it!" 

            "You could have at least warned me," Heero grumbled. Duo shrugged.

            "I'll wake you up next time then," he said. "Well, I'm not tired anymore, so I call the bathroom. See ya around, Heero!" With that he bolted out of the room, leaving Heero to scowl after him.

            Duo slammed his hand against the tap, turning the water to the hottest temperature possible. He hadn't slept as much as he would have liked, and it was making him irritable. All he wanted was a hot shower and something to eat. Grumbling under his breath, he pulled his shirt over his head distractedly and flung it across the room.

            "Stupid Heero, throwing me on the floor! What did he expect anyway? I was just …" his words trailed off as he caught his reflection in the mirror, and he paled. Heat suddenly coursed through his cheeks, embarrassment at the sudden realization of what he was doing. He was going to take a shower in Heero's body.

            "You're being immature, Duo," he argued quietly with himself. "Heero hasn't got anything you don't, after all …" He sighed and stepped away from the mirror. If he couldn't see his reflection it would be all right, wouldn't it? Heero couldn't exactly expect him to never shower. 

            _It's no big deal, he coached himself, __just get in the shower already. Sighing again and squeezing his eyes shut, Duo shoved his shorts off and jumped into the spraying water. Groping blindly for the shampoo, he opened the bottle and squeezed a liberal amount of the gel into his hand. _

            He kneaded the shampoo into his scalp and carefully kept his focus on the tiled wall in front of him. Once his hair was sufficiently lathered, he reached for the soap and held his breath for a moment.

            "You're really pathetic, you know?" he spoke softly to himself. "It's not anything to get nervous about anyway … just get in and out … stop shaking already! Shizumari tamae[1], Duo no baka …"

            He suddenly paused, registering the words that had passed his lips. The water continued to pummel him as he stood motionless, covered in soap suds and frowning viciously. A slow smile crept onto his face.

            "I know Japanese …"

            Heero pounded on the bathroom door, feeling a slight sense of déjà vu from the night before. Duo had been in the bathroom for a good twenty minutes, and Heero was sure that a shower could not take so long. 

            "What?!" Duo growled irritably, yanking the door open just as Heero raised a fist to start pounding again. He was dripping wet, wrapped in a towel, and looking generally pissed off. His face softened a little when he saw it was Heero.

            "Hey, fancy meeting you here."

            "Shut up, baka. Are you done yet, or is there still more hot water for you to waste?" Heero said, annoyance lacing his voice. 

            "What? I was just getting dried off."

            "You were in there for a long time," Heero said, emphasizing the last two words. Duo rolled his eyes.

            "Well, it's not my fault. I used way too much shampoo and had to rinse about ten times just to get it all out. I'm surprised you have to use any shampoo at all, really. It must take like a drop or two, right?" 

            "It's not my fault that _you have to use a lot of shampoo, Duo," Heero said lowly. "Can I have the bathroom now?"_

            "Sure, I guess," Duo shrugged, turning for a moment to reach back into the room. "One thing first."

            "…I'm listening," Heero sighed.

            "You'll need to use this, this and this," Duo instructed, shoving three bottles of random hair-care products into Heero's surprised arms.

            "What? Why?!" 

            Duo couldn't help but smirk at the terrified look on Heero's face. He calmly picked up one bottle and displayed it in front of Heero's nervous eyes.

            "This is the shampoo I use," he said, and promptly exchanged it for another bottle. "This is the conditioner … you don't have to use as much of this, but make sure you get it even. And then the last bottle use on the lower part of my hair and bangs. Helps with the split ends."

            "You have got to be kidding," Heero said. Duo's face turned lethal.

            "I take good care of my hair, Heero," he growled lowly. "And as long as you're in there, you're going to take good care of it, too."

            "Hn," Heero said in what was probably acquiescence. "I don't see the difference though. Shampoo is shampoo, after all."

            "It's not when you want your hair to look _human," Duo shot back, brandishing the bottle in Heero's face. The door down the hall clicked open, drawing both of their attentions. Wufei stepped out of his room looking carefully nonchalant, and paused to look at the odd scene taking place in the hallway._

            "Uh …" he began hesitantly, looking from Duo to Heero and back again.

            "What?!" Duo growled.

            "Uh, nothing," Wufei said, and turned to descend the stairs with a confused look on his face. Heero and Duo watched him go, and once he was gone both breathed a sigh of relief.

            "We've got to be more careful," Heero said. 

            "Uh huh," Duo agreed, placing the bottle back in Heero's possession. "Just take your shower then. We have something to talk about afterward." Heero didn't respond, but his curious look may as well have been a question.

            "I, uh …" Duo began, shifting nervously and smiling slightly. "I can speak Japanese." Heero just blinked at him.

            "So?" 

            "So," Duo retorted. "I'm not talking about the type of Japanese I used to speak. Not the Japanese-in-ten-easy-steps with the horrible accent. I'm talking perfect Japanese. Fluent."

            "Oh," Heero said tersely, and nodded. "That's … interesting. Yeah, we should think on that. Can I … get in the bathroom now?"

            "Oops, sorry," Duo apologized, sidestepping the boy and sliding past him into the hall. "It's all yours. Um, listen … I, uh … I know it's weird, us being in each other's bodies and all, but I wanted to tell you that … I didn't … um … _look, or anything."_

            "Look? What do you …? _Oh," Heero said, and Duo thought perhaps he saw a tinge of pink in his cheek. "We're … in the same situation, Duo. We're both … well, never mind. I was going to say mature …"_

            "Heero!" Duo snorted, his eyes wide with shock. "Was that a joke?"

            "Baka," Heero grumbled, turning away from him and stepping into the bathroom. "I … won't either, okay? And one other thing …"

            "Yeah?"

            "Remember to wear my clothes this time, not yours." With that Heero shut the door, leaving Duo dripping in the cold hallway. 

            Wufei's face had the same dazed look as Quatre's had earlier as he joined the two other pilots in the kitchen, and Trowa frowned slightly.

            "Wufei? What is it?" he asked. Quatre looked up from his coffee and gave Wufei a smile of greeting.

            "Everything okay?" he echoed Trowa's concern.

            "I … think so," Wufei said uncertainly, taking slow steps toward the coffeemaker and reaching for a mug. "Maxwell and Yuy are … being rather disconcerting, for lack of a better word." Quatre's eyes widened as he nearly regurgitated his coffee into his cup, and he quickly set the mug down.

            "What do you mean, Wufei?" he asked nervously.

            "It's … nothing, I suppose," the young Chinese man replied, pouring himself a black cup and taking slow sip. "They were in the hallway, discussing _shampoo." Silence overcame the three of them, and was finally broken by a slight snickering noise. Wufei and Quatre looked to Trowa, but he was bent over his newspaper. His bangs covered most of his face, revealing nothing. _

            "That's … definitely odd," Quatre finally said. "Trowa, were you …?"

            "What? It's funny."

*          *          *

            Duo scowled as he paced the short length of his bedroom, resisting the urge to reach down and tug at the material of his shorts.

            "Please explain to me why you _choose to wear clothing like this?!" he whined, shooting a glare at Heero. Heero returned the look with an icy glare of his own, pulling one of Duo's shirts over his head._

            "I don't particularly enjoy _your clothes either, Duo, now shut up."_

            "I just wanna know why anyone would torture themselves like this. Spandex is so not cool."

            "Are you done?" Heero asked calmly. Duo sighed and flopped on the bed next to him. 

            "Sure, I guess," he said quietly. "We got time to talk now?"

            "Hn," Heero nodded, then shot Duo an askance look. "Duo?"

            "Yeah?"

            "I can't braid your hair. Would you do it?"

            "Huh? What do you mean you can't."

            "I mean I _can't!"_

            "You … don't know how?" Duo asked.

            "Not really," Heero admitted, and thrust Duo's brush at him. "Just do it, all right? It's your stupid hair anyway."

            "Tch. It's not stupid, Heero. Just for that I'm not gonna go easy on the tangles," Duo said, taking the brush and moving to sit behind Heero. "So, what do you think?"

            "About what?"

            "Duh, Heero, about what I told you. The Japanese thing."

            "I have a theory," Heero said simply.

            "Well then, by all means, O wise one, enlighten me," Duo drawled dramatically, pulling the brush carefully through the thick mass of wet hair.

            "Even though our conscious minds have switched places, my brain is still in my body. You're using my brain now," Heero said slowly, as if picking his words carefully. "You've somehow tapped into my knowledge of the Japanese language."

            "What? You're saying … we can see into each other's minds? Each other's memories and stuff?" Duo said, tensing involuntarily. Heero didn't miss the action, and quickly shook his head.

            "I don't think so," he said firmly. "We each have our own memories, opinions, and so on. But … at the same time we can tap into each other's mental capabilities. It's sort of like … you know how to do everything I do. Everything that's instinctual for me is in my brain, so you have access to it."

            "That's trippy, Heero," Duo said, regaining a little of his composure. "Language isn't instinct."

            "Japanese is my native language. It is as much an instinct to me as anything else I learned as a child," Heero said. 

            "So … is the same thing happening to you?" 

            "I assume so. I haven't noticed it yet, but … perhaps that is why I'm able to pretend to be you so well."

            "How do you mean?"

            "It's instinct to you. Both acting, and … the way you act. It's easy for me to act like you if I think about it, because it's all there in your mind."

            "Hmm. Well, that's certainly deep."

            "It's only a theory."

            "A pretty damn deep theory," Duo said, rapidly finishing up the plait he had been braiding and reaching for an elastic band. "I personally would rather just get my own body back and not have to worry about your instincts taking me over."

            "I agree completely," Heero said. "It would be hazardous to future missions." Duo snorted, and tugged on the end of the braid to signal that he was finished.

            "_That was a Heero thing to say. We're gonna have to stay in better character. It's gonna be weird calling you Duo in front of the other guys. So when are we gonna …?"_

            "Heero?" Quatre's voice echoed up the stairwell, interrupting them. "Duo? Are you guys going to want breakfast or not?!"

            "Answer him," Duo hissed, prodding Heero in the ribs.

            "What?"

            "I'd yell something back. You're me, so go for it?"

            "Oh," Heero said, and jumped to his feet to go open the bedroom door. "Just a minute, Quatre!"

            "Q-man," Duo corrected quietly. Heero turned to look at him, and Duo smiled faintly. "Always Q-man, unless it's something serious. Or any of the other nicknames I use. Wufei, too."

            "Understood," Heero nodded. "Are you coming?"

            "You kidding? You never come right away when called," Duo rolled his eyes. "Not to _breakfast, anyway. I'll be down in a second."_

_Continued_

  


* * *

[1] Shizumari tamae – Calm down   (my Japanese is very limited, but I think that's right!)


	5. Traitors?

**Title: Trading Faces**

**Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.**

**Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing, etc.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. Guess I'll have to settle for owning this story (not a fair consolation if you ask me…) **

**A/N****: Wow, I guess the last chapter wasn't so bad after all, huh? I had my qualms about it, but … yay, people seemed to like it! Thanks to: ****Clairol (my story is on your fave list? *grin* I'm flattered!)**** Naomi (I'm glad you think that the story is interesting – yes, the Duo/Heero thing is a funny picture!) ****Natasha (I _would tell you that 'bestest' is not a word, but I'm too flattered! Thanks!) _****Shellie (C'mon, deep breaths, you aren't gonna die … hehehe) and ****Elle-FaTe2x1 (Thanks for reviewing so faithfully, glad you like!) for their reviews of last chapter. **

-           -           -

            By the time Duo came downstairs Wufei and Trowa were no where in sight; Duo assumed they had already left to get on with their day. Quatre was at the sink, his hands plunged deep in the soapy water as he hummed quietly to himself, and Heero was at the table staring at his plate. As soon as he entered the room violet eyes lifted to meet his, and Duo quirked an eyebrow.

            _Everything okay? the gesture asked._

            Heero gave a slight nod, tilted his head toward Quatre slightly, and then looked down at the heaping breakfast in front of him. Duo had the sudden urge to snicker. It was definitely a Duo-sized meal, and Heero looked lost. He stepped into the room, intending to motion his amusement to Heero, but his foot made more noise than expected on the linoleum. Quatre turned, smiling brightly at him.

            "Morning, Heero," he said cheerfully. "We saved you some just in case. It's on the table there. I made Duo promise to stay away from it." Duo made some kind of noise of acknowledgement and went to sit at the table. There was silence for a minute, as Quatre turned back to his chore and Duo stared at Heero. Once he was sure Quatre was occupied once more, Duo reached over to take some food from Heero's plate. It was obvious that the silent boy wasn't going to be eating it anyway.

            Heero shoved his hand away, glaring, and Duo retracted with surprise. He looked at Heero's disapproving face, and then made a face. '_What's your problem?' he mouthed. Heero didn't dignify him with any sort of response, he just picked up his fork and poked half-heartedly at the food in front of him. Duo kicked him under the table._

            '_Say something!' he mouthed, motioning to Quatre momentarily. Heero frowned, and Duo widened his eyes to show his impatience. _

            "You guys sure are awfully quiet," Quatre said, as if reading Duo's mind. Duo tightened his lips and nudged his chin forward as if to say '_See?!'_

            "Listen," Quatre continued, turning off the tap and wiping his hands on a dishtowel. "Um, are you guys …? Well, what I mean is, if there's anything …" He turned to face them, his face flushing as he saw their blank stares. "Never mind. Excuse me, please." The slight Arabian bolted from the room, and the two at the table watched him go in surprise. Once he was gone Duo turned back to Heero, and shrugged.

            "What's wrong with him?"

            "I don't know. He seemed fine before," Heero said quietly. "How can you eat this much, Duo?"

            "I'm a growing boy," Duo shrugged. "Speaking of which … what gives? If _you aren't gonna eat it, I'll be glad to take it off your hands."_

            "No," Heero said resolutely, startling Duo with his fierceness. 

            "Um … if I ask why are you gonna bite my head off?"

            "You aren't putting this junk into my body," Heero said tersely. "It's all simple sugar and grease."

            "The best kinds!" Duo argued, and his face fell when Heero frowned more deeply. "So what are you saying? I'm stuck eating this bran stuff, or whatever it is that you and Wufei usually eat?"

            "Exactly."

            "But …" Duo began, and trailed off into a groan. "_Heero!"_

            "No buts, Duo."

            "Fine. I won't touch it. But you, my annoying friend, are gonna eat every last bite!" 

            "What?" Heero replied, not missing the look of determination that flitted across Duo's eyes. 

            "You said it yourself. You don't want that food in your body? Well, I _do," Duo said. "It's what I usually eat, so eat it."_

            "But … it's not healthy."

            "I haven't died yet. C'mon, Heero, you eat it or I will."

            "Tch," Heero growled, and sighed in resignation. "You really are a baka."

            "I know for a fact you'll like it," Duo said. "My taste buds and all, you know? Well?"

            "Hn. Fine. But if I do, you promise to stay away from foods that I would normally not eat. I don't want an out of shape body when we get back to normal."

            "Heero Yuy, are you saying that I'm out of shape?" Duo demanded. Heero smirked slightly. 

            "Well, you did mention that my body runs faster than yours …"

            "Hey! That's not fair!" 

            "Whatever. Eat your breakfast while you have the chance. Quatre was looking for you."

            "He was?"

            "Well, looking for _me. But whatever he wants, you'd better take care of it just how I would."_

            "Never fear, Heero, I'm a great actor," Duo grinned, but his face quickly fell as he looked down at the plate in front of him. "There is no way I'm gonna act like I _like this though."_

            "You'll be fine," Heero said, smirking smugly. "My taste buds, remember?"

            "Don't you dare throw my words back at me, Heero!" Duo said irritably. Heero continued to smirk, and calmly lifted his frosted cinnamon roll to his mouth. Duo groaned.

            "Definitely not fair …!"

            Duo went quietly to Quatre's room, pausing at the doorway with a slight bit of hesitance. The blond was inside, sitting at the computer on the desk and tapping his foot against the hardwood floor absently. Duo leaned against the doorframe, waiting for Quatre to acknowledge him, but nothing came. He finally cleared his throat, just loud enough to draw the boy's attention. Quatre's head shot up, his cerulean eyes locking easily with Duo's.

            "Hello, Heero," he said with a smile. "Did you need something?"

            "Apparently you do," Duo said, keeping his arms crossed comfortably across his chest. Quatre gave him an unsure look, and Duo gave an inward groan. "Duo said you were looking for me?"

            "Oh!" Quatre brightened immediately. "Oh, yes. I'm glad he reminded you! I need your help … that is, if you have the time to spare?" Duo gave a noncommittal shrug, and slowly strode into the room. If he kept his mouth shut he would be fine, he told himself. Quatre wasn't _that perceptive, even if he was the hardest to be around. He kept looking at Duo with an odd expression; it made him uncomfortable._

            "Great. I just, um …" he waved a hand vaguely at the computer screen. "I was trying to get into this database, but the walls around it are a bit harder to leap than I thought they would be. You're a better hacker than I am … would you give it a try?" 

            "Hn. Move over," Duo said, keeping his voice and expression as neutral as possible. Truth be told he was a bundle of nerves; he wanted nothing more than to run out of the room and away from Quatre's probing eyes. But that was not a Heero thing to do. So he sat at in the chair that Quatre had just vacated and placed his hands on the keyboard tentatively.

            Duo considered himself a fairly good hacker, but no one stacked up to the Perfect Soldier. He only hoped that Quatre didn't notice that his skills weren't quite up to par. However, when he happened to glance over at Quatre he saw that Quatre's eyes were calmly trained on him, watching him thoughtfully. Duo's face tightened in apprehension, and he narrowed his eyes at his companion.

            "Is there a problem?" he asked quietly.

            "Huh? Oh, no," Quatre shook his head. "Nothing, Heero."

            "Hn," Duo muttered. He didn't believe the blond one bit; he only wondered if his paranoia was justified. He continued his rapid typing, trying to focus on the task at hand. He wondered if Heero's hacking skills were something that he could tap into, like he had done with the Japanese.

            "Actually, Heero, I wanted to talk to you," Quatre said, and Duo's hands paused momentarily on the keys.

            "About what?" he finally asked, carefully avoiding Quatre's eyes.

            "I don't want you to take offense, or anything, so please keep an open mind about this," Quatre began. Duo frowned at the nervousness that he detected in his friend's voice. This couldn't be good. He didn't say anything, and after a brief silence Quatre continued.

            "I've just … been getting some odd feelings since I got back from my last mission. Normally I wouldn't say anything, but they have to do with you and Duo …" Duo tensed, the nervous knot in his stomach growing. Quatre couldn't know, he just couldn't!

            "I know it's your business, and I have no right to ask, but is … something going on between you two? Because you know I wouldn't judge either of you, Heero, none of us would. If there's something wrong, or … or anything, there's no reason that you couldn't tell us. You probably think I should be having this conversation with Duo, but I wanted to tell you …"

            "Damn it, Quatre, would you just shut up?! You have no idea what you're talking about, no idea--!" Duo burst before he could hold back his frustration, and he suddenly clamped a hand over his own mouth in horror. Twisting in the chair and stumbling to his feet, he quickly left the room with as much dignity that he could salvage. As soon as he was in the hall he took off in a mad dash, his intention to find Heero as quickly as he could. 

*          *          *

            Heero was in the study, calmly typing on his laptop when Duo burst into the room. The look on Duo's face was enough to still his hands, and he turned to fully face the frenzied young man before him.

            "What the hell are you doing?" Duo snarled at him, desperately needing to take his fury out on something. Heero frowned.

            "Doing the research we talked about, since _you are probably too lazy to do any of it."_

            "Hell, Heero, I don't know how, but Quatre's on to something!" Duo burst, unable to hold it in. Heero's face darkened.

            "What?" 

            "Yeah, my sentiments exactly. He asked me to help him hack something, then he just started going on about how he knows something's going on with us, and how we could always tell him if something was wrong!" Duo explained, flopping down on the edge of the desk and crossing his arms over his chest. "What did we do wrong?"

            "Nothing," Heero said after a pause. "Quatre senses a lot of things. As long as he can't place what he feels we have nothing to worry about."

            "It's to damn close for comfort, if you ask me," Duo grumbled. Heero jumped to his feet, and began to pace the room as he thought. Duo's lips curved into a ghost of a smile as he watched the boy reach to pick at the end of his braid.            

            "Heh, you're doing the brain thing," Duo said softly. "That's _my nervous habit."_

            "I am not nervous," Heero protested, dropping the rope of hair immediately upon realizing what he was doing.

            "Yes you are. I'd be worried if you weren't," Duo said.

            "…I think we should tell them."

            "_What? Absolutely not."_

            The two were so engrossed in their argument that they didn't notice when Wufei appeared in the doorway. Wufei noticed them, and halted in his approach as he saw the apparent anger between the two. He turned to leave them alone, but a part of him was curiously suspicious. Heero and Duo rarely fought when the others were around, unless it had something to do with a mission gone wrong. Even then it was Heero who got upset first; inside the study, Duo looked far more angry than the Japanese boy. Heero simply looked irritated, but that wasn't uncommon. Carefully pressing himself against the wall in the corridor, Wufei cocked his head to listen. 

            "They're going to find out sooner or later!" Heero retorted, his hand unconsciously seeking out his braid once more.

            "What would you suggest then?" Duo hissed, his eyes glinting murderously. "Calmly explaining to them that we aren't who we say we are?! I thought we agreed it was best to keep it between us!"

            "I know what the agreement was!" Heero replied with equal fervor. "Hell, it seemed like the right thing to do! But I can't put up with this much longer!"

            "And you think I can?!" Duo retorted. "Unless you have a better idea, just _shut __up!" Heero opened his mouth to reply, then deflated with a sigh. Duo leaned back on the table, propping himself up with his arms and craning his neck toward the computer._

            "We aren't going to get anywhere while we're at each other's throats," he said rationally, his voice much more calm. "What did you find out from OZ?"

            "Not a whole lot yet," Heero admitted. "I didn't want to do anything until I was sure the other guys would leave me alone."

            "Hm. Probably a good plan."

            "_Probably?" Heero repeated, quirking an eyebrow. "Definitely. Give me a little credit here. I'm not stupid."_

            Wufei was frozen in the hallway; it was only the innate need to breathe that brought him back to the present. He had been holding his breath without realizing it, and he drew in a shaky breath. No, it couldn't be possible … could it?

            He pushed himself away from the wall with suddenly cold hands, wary not to make any noise as he took off down the hall. He couldn't bear to listen to them anymore.

            _It couldn't be true … Heero and Duo are trusted allies, he told himself as he took swift steps away from the scene he had witnessed. But there was a nagging doubt in the back of his mind that he couldn't rationalize away. Either there was some bizarre explanation for all of this, or … or they were being betrayed …_

            "Not stupid? I dunno, Heero, could have fooled me," Duo teased, a softer smile breaking through his features at last. "You do have a baka's body, after all."

            "Hn … you aren't that much of a baka," Heero said softly, then glared at Duo quickly to cover up the words that could only be considered a compliment from the Perfect Soldier. "Not _all the time, anyway. You're quite tolerable when your mouth is closed and you're not moving."_

            "Aw, geez, Heero, for a moment I thought I was gonna have heart failure. To think you held me in high esteem," Duo said, and lifted a hand to clutch at his chest. "Then you shot it all down! You're more cruel than I thought."

            "Shut up," Heero muttered, sitting back down in front of the laptop. 

            "Hey, Heero?" Duo said, leaning over the back of the screen to stare Heero in the face.

            "Yes?"

            "Sorry for getting pissed off at you. Q just really freaked me out, with all of his 'I can sense what you're thinking' vibes and all," Duo said.

            "Hn. You were not the only one at fault. I also … lost my composure." Duo laughed at the rigid words. 

            "Apology accepted!" he chirped. "So, we cool again?"

            Heero raised his eyes to meet Duo's, a strange expression mingled with amusement darting across his features.

            "Um …yes, Duo. We're …cool." Duo snorted as he failed to hold back his laughter, and he collapsed on the desk.

            "I can't believe you just said that!" he exclaimed, then calmed. "What was that look on your face for, Heero?"

            "Hn. Nothing."

            "Oh, c'mon."

            "It was nothing."

            "Nuh uh, Heero, be honest. Secrets don't make friends," Duo said in a sing-song voice. Heero looked sharply at him, the same look dancing momentarily in his eyes.

            "You're doing it again. It's …strange."

            "What is?"

            "Hearing my own voice say something that ridiculous."

            "Yeah, well, think about how I felt when I heard my own voice condemn junk food. A knife through my heart, really."

            "Hn," Heero smirked thoughtfully, and then turned back to the computer. "Shut up, baka."

*          *          *

            Wufei sat in the darkness of the living room, curled up on the couch. It was well into the night; all of the others had retired to their respective rooms long ago. The serious young man breathed slowly, trying to calm his nerves as he mulled over the thoughts that plagued his mind.

            _'What would you suggest then? Calmly explaining to them that we aren't who we say we are?!'_

            _"They're going to find out sooner or later!"_

            _"What did you find out from OZ?"_

_            "I didn't want to do anything until I was sure the other guys would leave me alone."_

_            "…we aren't who we say we are …"_

_            "…did you find out from OZ?"_

_            "They're going to find out …"_

_            "…aren't who we say we are …"_

_            "It isn't possible," Wufei whispered aloud. "It just __can't be!" But he could come up with no proof, except for the fact that he trusted the two pilots. They all did. They were supposed to be allies … friends._

            A noise drew his attention, and he froze as he saw a figure walk silently out of the stairway on the opposite side of the room. It was Duo; the limited moonlight that infiltrated the window near the stairway allowed Wufei to see him clearly enough. He was dressed in his usual black pants, one of Heero's hunter tank tops, and a black jacket that hung off of his slim frame awkwardly. 

            Apparently the braided boy had not noticed Wufei, because after a slight glance around the room he traversed the carpet toward the kitchen, mostly likely heading for the back door. Wufei watched him exit the room, and as soon as he had gone the Chinese boy was on his feet. Wherever Duo was going at this hour, it was certain that he didn't want the others to know. But Wufei wanted to know.

            _"…we aren't who we say we are …"_

            Wufei had to know. Hurrying to find a pair of shoes and a suitable dark jacket, he took off into the night after Duo's disappearing figure.

Continued

**A/N continued: Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha! I feel evil, and it feels _good! Poor Wufei and his misunderstandings. Well, I had to have a__ little fun …. Anyway, review? *points to the button* I must know what you think!_**


	6. Heero's In Danger! Isn't He?

**Title: Trading Faces**

**Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.**

**Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing, etc.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. Guess I'll have to settle for owning this story (not a fair consolation if you ask me…) **

**A/N****: Thanks to: Clairol, Faith, bunetwo, Elle-FaTe2x1, Violet, LB, shinigami angel, Shellie, angelhereal, and Naomi for their reviews last time. I'm glad you guys are enjoying things so far! Buckle up, kiddies, here's chapter 6.******

-           -           -

            "Duo? There's a problem."

            Duo wondered for a moment if the voice was a dream. He lay very still, hoping that perhaps it would go away and leave him to sleep. There was a sound suspiciously like a sigh of exasperation, and Duo cringed. It wasn't going away.

            "Whaddya want? 'M tired," he mumbled, hiding his eyes in the crook of his arm.

            "I can't find it."

            "Wha?"

            "I can't … Duo, would you wake _up?" His elbow was suddenly pried away from his face, and he groaned in displeasure as the sheets were ripped away from him. He blinked up at the figure leaning over him, noticing that the room was still remarkably dim._

            "Heya Heero," he said softly, his words still slightly slurred with sleep. "What gives? Is it even dawn yet? Whatcha doin' awake?"

            "I never went to sleep."

            "What? Why?" Duo asked, gaining more consciousness at Heero's blunt words.

            "I went out last night," Heero explained, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking at Duo with hard eyes. "I thought I could find the disk."

            "The disk?! Did you?" Duo bolted upright, suddenly excited. Heero's shoulders slumped a little. 

            "No," he said almost bitterly. "I wandered around that damn forest for hours. Maybe I could have remembered more clearly where we left it if someone hadn't _knocked me out before!"_

            "How many times are you going to make me apologize for that?" Duo whined. "There's nothing I can do about it now!"

            "You'll have to attempt to look for it. I assume you remember the general area it was in?"  
            "Mmm, I _think so," Duo nodded. "You could have told me you were going, you know. I would have helped."_

            "I didn't want to wake the others," Heero shrugged. "Besides, it was probably best if we didn't both go rushing into danger at the same time."

            "Danger? What do you mean?"

            "I think OZ is patrolling the forest," Heero explained. "I had the distinct feeling that I was being tailed …"

            "Well, did ya get whoever it was?"

            "No. I was never presented with the opportunity," Heero grumbled. "OZ may be suspicious that we are still in the area."

            "Think we oughta move out?"

            "I don't know," Heero said quietly. "In any case, you need to get up. Trowa is on a mission, and if I can distract the other two perhaps you can leave to look for the disk."

            "In broad daylight, with ozzies crawling around waiting for me? Heero, are you _that tired? Where's your head?"_

            "Are you telling me that you can't handle it?"

            "No. I'm telling you that you're crazy," Duo retorted, turning over and burying his face in his pillow momentarily. "Fine, I'll get up in a minute. I'll help you with my hair once I do."

            "Hn. That won't be necessary."

            "Huh?"

            "I tried it myself. It was a successful enough attempt."

            "Um … English, please?"

            "I braided my own hair, baka. Is that okay with you?!" Heero snapped.

            "Oh. The brain thing?"

            "Hn. Yes, Duo, the 'brain thing'," Heero said sarcastically. "How scientific of you."

            "You're pissy when you're tired, aren't you? Here, you go to sleep and I'll get up. You can distract the masses for me later." He swung himself off the edge of the bed and motioned for Heero to lie down.

            "But Duo …"

            "You're exhausted, Heero, I can tell. Just get some sleep already, would you? The disk isn't running away, you know."

            Heero meant to protest, but the look on Duo's face silenced him. Grumbling and pulling off his jacket, he collapsed reluctantly on the bed. 

            Duo had only been downstairs for a few minutes, but already the tension was almost too much to bear. Quatre was being terribly skittish around him; Duo couldn't really blame the guy, after his outburst the day before, but he didn't know what to do to fix the situation. He couldn't exactly apologize, and an explanation was out of the question. 

            Wufei was sitting at the kitchen table, glaring at him with what Duo couldn't help but call malice. He frowned slightly as he poured himself some coffee, wondering what he had done to aggravate the serious young man. He had been nothing but civil to the boy since he had been stuck in Heero's body, so there was no reason for him to be scowling so deeply. He realized too late that he had been staring, when Wufei snapped at him.

            "What are you looking at, Yuy?!" 

            "Hn. Nothing," Duo replied with calm composure. "You look terrible." It was true; Wufei looked wrung out and weary, and Duo could tell by the slight slump in his posture that the pilot was indeed tired.

            "I didn't sleep well," Wufei bit out, narrowing his eyes a little more before turning back to his breakfast. Duo wanted to press further, but he knew that it wouldn't be correct to do so. Quatre didn't help matters; he sat quietly with his tea, his face growing sheepish as Duo looked at him. As soon as they locked eyes the blond looked away, ducking his head as though he was embarrassed. Duo rolled his eyes.

            One friend was scared to death of him, and another seemed to have developed a hatred for him overnight. He didn't know whether or not to wish Trowa was there; the quiet boy might have only made things worse. 

            Swallowing his coffee quickly, ignoring the scalding quality of the liquid, he set his mug in the sink and stalked out of the room. Wufei's eyes followed him closely; he could feel them burn into his back as he retreated. 

            "What the hell is wrong with everyone today?" Duo muttered angrily to himself as he sought out somewhere to be alone. "Could it _get any worse …?"_

            "We have a mission."

            _Yes, it could__ get worse, Duo noted cynically as he stared at Heero. _

            "No. _Please say you're shitting me."_

            "Duo!" Heero growled, and Duo groaned. 

            "How are we gonna go on a mission like this, Heero? Huh? Would you explain that one to me?"

            "Actually, the mission parameters only require one of us."

            "Which one?"

            "Technically, you. Practically, me."

            "Hey, if the mission's for me _I'm the one who's gonna go. You got that?"_

            "Except that I'm you. So I'm going."

            "Just 'cause we happen to be switched around doesn't mean that I am no longer capable of piloting Scythe. And I sure as hell don't want anyone else piloting him!"

            "I will handle the mission, Duo," Heero said, his voice adamant. Duo huffed, glaring icily at his companion. It was impossible to win an argument with the Perfect Soldier if he was determined.

            "Why'd you say _we then?!" Duo demanded, piqued._

            "Because we're going to pretend that you're backing me up," Heero said calmly. "It will give you an excuse to leave the safe house and look for the disk while I take care of the mission."

            "That's pathetic, Heero."

            "It will work. That's what counts."

            "You know, it's only gonna take a little bit of time to find the disk. The mission will take longer, I'm sure. What am I supposed to do then, huh?"

            "Bring the laptop with you and look into what you can find out about the disk's origins and operations."

            "But Heero, that's _boring!"_

            "I did my share, it's time you did yours," Heero countered, his glare solid. "Now, are we in agreement?"

            "Tch. As if I really have a vote in the matter. Enter, despot Heero, bringing oppression to the poor, hardworking citizen Duo," Duo said sourly.

            "Stop the melodrama, because I don't care. It will work this way."

            "Whatever you say," Duo shrugged. "When are we going?"

            "As soon as you can gather your supplies."

            "Okay. But I have one stipulation, or I'm not leaving this house."

            "And that would be?"

            "You have to show me where Wing is."

            "What?! For what reason?!"

            "If you get to use Scythe, I get to use Wing. I'll need someplace to crash to do my work on the laptop, and I sure as hell can't come back _here. I don't think you want me hacking OZ sites in a public place either. So … I get to hang out in Wing's cockpit, or I'm not accepting the mission."_

            Heero's fists clenched, and he gritted his teeth. Duo tapped his foot expectantly.

            "Well?"

            "Hn … if you _insist."_

*          *          *

            Quatre and Wufei watched the two pilots leave, each feeling qualms for different reasons. Normally there was nothing abnormal about two of them getting called away for a mission at the same time, but suspicions had warped both of their senses. Quatre's arms were wrapped lightly around himself, as though he were cold. Wufei's stance was rigid, and they were both silent for a minute.

            "Do you feel it too, Wufei?" Quatre asked after a moment, glancing at the boy next to him. He could feel an odd aura around the Chinese boy. "You think something's going on between them, too?" Wufei's eyes rose in surprise.

            "I thought I was the only one who was suspicious," Wufei said slowly.

            "I could sense something was off … and then I sort of walked in on them the other morning …" he trailed off, his cheeks turning pink as he recalled the awkward moment.

            "What did they do?" Wufei demanded, the harshness of his words surprising Quatre.

            "Oh, nothing. They, um, didn't notice I was there," the blond replied.

            "I see," Wufei sighed. "I nearly walked in on them yesterday … but they were being loud enough that I managed to stop before they saw me." Quatre's eyes widened at Wufei's words, his face growing even hotter with discomfort.

            "Oh …"

            "What's wrong with you, Winner?"

            "Nothing … just a bit flustered, that's all," Quatre said vaguely. 

            "Hm," Wufei nodded. "Does Trowa know?"

            "I haven't said anything," Quatre shook his head.

            "We should tell him. As soon as he gets back."

            "Are you sure …? I mean, is it really our place …?"

            "I certainly think so," Wufei huffed, turning away from his companion with a solid glare on his face. He promptly left the room, heading for the stairway. Perhaps he would be able to find out something more tangible if he looked through the two absent pilots' rooms. Quatre watched him go, lifting a hand to his chest involuntarily as his nervousness grew.

            Neither seemed to realize that they were talking about completely different things.

*          *          *

            Duo grinned as he settled into Wing's pilot chair, practically glowing with excitement. He wasn't thrilled about Heero using Deathscythe, but at least he had gotten a fairly equal trade. The Japanese boy was quite protective of his gundam, and Duo had never been allowed to spend any real amount of time around it. He hoisted the bag he had brought along onto his lap, eagerly opening it and riffling through its contents.

            Technically he was supposed to be searching for the disk right now, but Duo knew he had plenty of time to spare. It didn't really matter what he did first, whether he hacked or looked for the device, and Duo didn't feel like wandering through the woods just yet. He wanted to wait until it got a little later, in case Heero's theory about an OZ patrol proved to be true. 

            He pulled out a CD, smiling with satisfaction. Heero might have had an awesome system for fighting and tactics, but his entertainment was no doubt lacking. Duo felt it only right that he should leave Heero with a little souvenir, and swiftly began installing a small music library into Wing's memory.

            Once the files were transferred, Duo picked one at random to play while he booted up the laptop. The familiar rhythm of a rock beat filled the small space, and Duo sighed contentment as he leaned back to begin his work. He hoped that Heero was having as easy of a time as he was.

*          *          *

            "Come on, Wufei, can't you go any faster?" Quatre demanded, a sharpness in his voice that was not common for the usually polite boy. Wufei gave the blond an exasperated look. 

            "It's _Barton. I'm sure he's fine," he said in attempt to calm his companion, but he couldn't seem to conceal the fact that he was nervous, too. They had received a transmission earlier from the pilot of Heavyarms, saying that he had been injured and would not be able to make it back to the safe house alone. Quatre had gone into a frenzy immediately, and after getting the coordinates of the tall boy's gundam Wufei hadn't been able to restrain the boy._

            They had stolen a vehicle without much trouble, and were now en route to where their injured friend was waiting. Quatre was all but quivering in his seat, his wide cerulean eyes searching frantically for signs of Trowa. They had long since left behind all semblances of civilization; Heavyarms could easily be concealed close by. 

            "There!" Quatre cried, thrusting his finger across Wufei's chest to point out the hunched figure of Trowa's gundam. It was concealed well enough that any common passerby would never have noticed it, but to the trained eye it was easy to spot. Quatre frowned. "Trowa must really be hurt, to leave himself so vulnerable."

            "We're in the middle of nowhere, Winner," Wufei retorted, pulling the vehicle to a halt not far from the towering metal giant. "Barton isn't stupid." Quatre ignored Wufei's sharp comments; he dove out of the car before it had stopped rolling, scrambling toward Heavyarms with a shout. 

            "Trowa!" 

            "It's not so bad," Trowa said again, after the blond had sufficiently looked him over anxiously. His arm was secured in a makeshift tourniquet, and he had his other hand pressed to his side. "My ribs are bruised. I don't think I can walk any long distance on my own, that's all."

            "You're not fine," Quatre said fiercely, his eyes blazing. "You're still _bleeding, Trowa! And you look __terrible!"_

            "Well, thank you," Trowa said caustically, rolling his eyes. Quatre winced a little at the tone.

            "Sorry, Trowa, I didn't mean it like that," he whispered. Trowa's face softened immediately.

            "Neither did I. I'm just on edge … sorry," the banged boy replied. 

            "Are you two quite done with your spat?" Wufei demanded, standing akimbo on the ground and staring up at the cockpit.

            "Sorry, Wufei, everything's fine," Trowa called back. Quatre smiled regrettably. 

            "I overreacted. Trowa's right, I really should ha-ngh!" his words chopped off abruptly as he cringed, his hands seeking out his chest as he gave a squeak of surprise.

            "Quatre?" Trowa said, concerned, his hand abandoning his ribs to help balance the blond. Quatre gave a shuddering breath, and shook his head vehemently.

            "Oh Allah, Trowa … it _hurts!"_

            "What is it, Quatre? What?"

            "It's … I think it's Heero!" Quatre managed to gasp. "Something's wrong with…"

            "Can you block it?" Trowa asked carefully. Quatre gritted his teeth.

            "Call him … please, Trowa … call him on your com. Please? See if he's okay?"

            "…Okay, Quatre. Okay."

            Duo jolted awake suddenly, the sound of loud music permeating his still hazy mind. Something had alerted his senses … he frowned. He shouldn't have been sleeping at all. How long had it been since he had fallen asleep, anyway?

            Suddenly he realized what had awoken him. He was getting an incoming visual communication. Who would be trying to contact him, if not for …

            "Heero!" he bolted to a more upright position. "Damn! Is it that late already?" He scrambled to turn off his music, and put a strong scowl on his face as he moved to accept the call. If Heero was done with the mission all ready, he would no doubt be wondering where the heck Duo was. Heero was probably pissed …

            "Look, I …" he began, but abruptly cut off when he saw that it was Trowa's face staring back at him. "Trowa?" The tall pilot looked ragged, and Duo's expression deepened. Something was off …

            "Everything okay, Heero?" Trowa asked bluntly. "Are you all right?"

            "Of course I'm all right," Duo replied. "I can't say the same about you, though."

            "You see, Quatre? He's fine …" Trowa said, ignoring Duo's remarks as he turned to his side. Quatre was suddenly leaning over him, his pained face appearing on the screen.

            "But … but are you sure?" he asked, his voice surprisingly weak.

            "What's going on?" Duo demanded.

            "It's nothing, Heero. Quatre thought he sensed you were in some kind of danger or something, but …" Trowa started to explain, then winced when Quatre fell into him with a hiss of discomfort.

            "Nn … sorry, Trowa," Quatre pulled away from the wounded boy immediately. "I didn't mean to hurt you … but … it isn't going away!"

            "Quatre? What's going on?" Duo demanded, carefully enunciating every word.

            "I'm sorry, Heero, I just thought you were … were hurt or something … I was sure it was you …" Quatre attempted to explain, but was interrupted by a startled gasp from Duo. A light had suddenly come on in Duo's mind.

            "Oh shit! Heero!"

            The communication was cut before Trowa and Quatre even had a chance to ask why the Japanese pilot was talking in the third person.

_ Continued_


	7. Search and Rescue

**Title: Trading Faces**

**Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.**

**Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing, etc.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. Guess I'll have to settle for owning this story (not a fair consolation if you ask me…) **

**A/N****: Apologies for the late timing on this chapter. I was out of town a few days, and suffered from computer separation. This chapter is a bit longer, so hopefully that will partially make up for it! I didn't get to everything I wanted to in this chapter, but I didn't want to put off posting any longer. Anyway, big thank-yous go to: Clairol, Insanity Rising, Bryony, bunetwo, tasha, LB, Violet, angelhereal, shinigami angel, Tori Sakana, SilverShinigami and Elle-FaTe2x1 for reviewing! I hope you all continue to enjoy this! Let me know how this chapter was, kay?******

_          _          _

            Duo snarled viciously as he slammed his hands on the controls in anger. Of course, it all made such perfect sense now that he thought about it. Quatre _could sense that they were in different bodies, even if the blond had no idea what he was feeling! That meant Heero really__ was in danger …_

            There was no other option. He had to find Heero fast. Swallowing a bit of nervousness that grew in his throat, he stared down at Wing's controls. Heero's gundam was special, he knew that. Normally he would never attempt to pilot it, but he didn't really have a choice. Fury welled up inside him, and he made a quick decision. He was going to pilot Wing and find his missing friend. He could do this … he _had to do this …_

            No one was allowed to hurt Heero. _No one._

*          *          *

            Heero's head lolled to the side of its own accord; he let it hang there limply, because he didn't have the strength to lift it. Some time ago they had hauled him off of the floor to secure him to the metal chair where he now sat, upright only because of the thick wire restraints that held him in place. Footsteps and shouts that had long been silenced rang in his head hollowly, accompanied by a raging headache that robbed him partially of his senses. He didn't know how long they had left him bleeding on the cold floor; he couldn't recall now what they had done to make him bleed so much in the first place. His mind was too fuzzy.

            The grating of the heavy iron door on the other side of the room forced him back to the present, and his eyes cracked open to peer in its direction with limited vision. He couldn't see so well … idly, he wondered why …

            Moments seemed to pass, as a hazy figure conversed quietly with what had to be a guard near the doorway. Their voices were garbled and echoed awkwardly; Heero stopped trying to listen after a while. It was wasted effort.

            "…big waste of my _time!" one voice rose to a tone loud enough that Heero could understand, and he perked up slightly. It sounded horribly irritated. She. She sounded horribly irritated. It was a she._

            "Ma'am, please …" the guard replied feebly.

            "Have you ever had the _pleasure of being in a base that has been attacked by any of the gundams?! Have you ever had to __put up with fighting them face to face?!" she continued to intimidate the guard. "Well, __have you?!"_

            "Er … no, ma'am."

            "Well, then you wouldn't know _why this is a waste of my time! Would you like to know why?! Would you?" _

            "Uh …"

            "Because," she continued her rant, "_that is not a pilot!"_

            "But ma'am … he was captured in an infiltration with a gundam nearby, and he certainly fits the description of the pilot 02 …" the guard attempted to defend himself, his voice shaking.

            "I know all that. And he certainly does fit whatever physical description of 02 you may have seen … however, if you bothered to look a little closer it would be quite obvious that _that is not him!"_

            "Ma'am?"

            "I've been in this room a whole five minutes, and he hasn't _said anything yet."_

            "…But, ma'am, he_ has just been through a thorough interrogation …"_

            "That doesn't matter. Not with pilot 02. Are his restraints secure?"

            "Yes, ma'am."

            There was the distinct sound of heels against the hard floor, and Heero managed to push his chin up just enough to be able to see the approaching individual. As the blurry person got closer, Heero was able to see more clearly that it was Lady Une. He steeled himself and put on what he hoped was a defiant face. His jaw felt oddly numb. Maybe they had broken it …?

            "Well, 02, have you got anything to say for yourself?" Une asked almost amiably, leaning close to his face. Heero said nothing; he scarcely blinked.

            "Come now, the interrogation is over. I know you managed to stay quite silent through that whole ordeal, but now it's just us two. Haven't you got anything at all to say to me?" Une coaxed, reaching out to press a finger into his inner shoulder. He winced, feeling a sudden burst of pain. He didn't realize he had been injured there …

            "You aren't even going to curse at me, hmm?" she said after a moment, withdrawing her hand and straightening again. Again, there was no response. Une whirled to face the guard.

            "You see? _Entirely too silent! 02 would have been condemning me to hell the moment I walked in here, or at least would have attempted to befriend me in exchange for assistance in escaping. He is the most brash, rude, completely __obnoxious individual I've ever come across, and he would most certainly __not sit compliant while anyone aggravated his injuries …!"_

            There was a slight murmur from behind her, and she turned in curiosity to face the prisoner. 

            "What's that, 02? Found your tongue at last?"

            "Duo … isn't … he's _not obnoxious …" he murmured thickly, glaring fiercely at Une. Une's eyes widened in surprise, and then she snorted. Heero wondered why for a moment, then he realized what he had done. He had spoken the words in Japanese._

            "You see? He's an obvious decoy. Pilot 02 is an avid speaker of the _English language. A waste of my time, soldier."_

            "Wh-what would you like us to do with him, then, ma'am?" the soldier asked nervously. Une sighed.

            "Send him back to interrogation. See if you can find out what use the pilots have for decoys, and who exactly he's working for. Whether or not you can find out his intentions, I want him executed. We have no need for extra prisoners, especially _worthless ones …"_

            At that moment, the base's speaker system exploded in a barrage of heavy metal, practically shaking the floor with its intensity. 

            "What the hell is that?!" Une demanded to no one in particular, dashing to the com panel on the far wall and hastily connecting to the main communication room. A rather bewildered looking woman answered her call, her face blanched.

            "La-lady Une?"

            "What's going on down there?!"

            "We don't know just yet, ma'am," the woman said apologetically, looking to the side for a moment as someone shouted something to her. "Something's wrong with the communications."

            "I know that! What I want to know is why haven't you fixed it yet?!"

            "We … can't shut it off, Lady. The speakers all read themselves as inoperative. They think they're already shut off."

            "Can't you disconnect them manually?!"

            "Not without cutting power to the entire base!"

            "Oh _hell!" Une swore, turning from the panel for a moment to think. A slight sound from Heero made her look up and glare at the pilot. _

            Heero laughed louder, the noise rough and hoarse in his parched throat. Une lunged toward him.

            "Just what are you laughing at, huh?!"

            "Sh-shinigami," Heero managed to rasp through his bursts of weak laughter. "He's here."

            "The God of Death is in the building, people! Step aside or forfeit you life!" Duo roared as he charged through the base, grinning maniacally as he held a gun in either hand. He used them to take out a few of the more daring soldiers, then pounced on one before he had a chance to retreat with the rest.

            "This is all your fault anyway, ya know? Stupid ozzies! What have you done with my beautiful bod, huh? Answer me!" he shook the man a little, then pushed him away as the soldier's eyes rolled back in his head in a dead faint. He snorted and continued down the hall. They were holding Heero somewhere, he knew it! Hopefully, he had caused enough damage to the other side of the base with Wing that a lot of the troops would be otherwise occupied. The music he had locked into the intercom system picked up in tempo, and he smiled grimly. 

            "Hope you don't mind the tunes, Heero, but I thought they were a nice touch. Just hold on a little more, okay? I'm coming for ya …"

            "Just cut the power for a moment to get it to stop!" Une shouted at the woman as the music got even louder. "How long will it have to be cut?"

            "Uh … it should be only a moment or two …" the woman replied hesitantly. "But is that wise, ma'am? What with the damage sustained to the northern wing?" 

            "Damage? What damage?" Une demanded.

            "There … there was a gundam, ma'am. Our suits managed to force it into a retreat …"

            "Oh, hell! Why was I not informed of this?!"

            "Um … I assume since you were in the interrogation room …"

            "Never mind! Turn off this ridiculous music this instant!" Une roared, and disconnected the feed as she whirled on the guard. "Find the person who ordered the retaliation against the gundam and bring them to me! I want to know _why I wasn't informed!"_

            "But ma'am, the prisoner …"

            "Are you suggesting that I am not capable of watching _one half-conscious prisoner?!"_

            "Ah, no ma'am."

            "That's what I thought. Now get going."

            It was at that moment that the power was suddenly cut.

            "Finally! Thank you, OZ predictability!" Duo said eagerly as the lights flickered out, taking the music along with it. Dim emergency lights lit the corridor at random places, and he tore down the walkway to the strip of rooms that he had narrowed down as the place where Heero was most likely being held. With the power cut he didn't have to worry about electronic locks. Figuring that the bug he had introduced to the OZ mainframe would give him a good ten minutes of chaos at best, he bolted around a corner recklessly.

            He barreled straight into a man in uniform, who looked horrified the moment he saw Duo's guns. Duo grabbed him and slammed him into the nearest wall, leveling one of his guns at the man's chest.

            "Please, you don't wanna kill me!" the man pleaded quietly.

            "Oh yeah? How do you figure that?" Duo replied lightly, pressing the barrel of his gun more deeply into the man's skin. The soldier whimpered.

            "You're … you're here for _him, aren't you?" he asked quickly. "I'll tell you where he is, just … just let me go!"_

            "Depends. Who are you talking about?"

            "The … the pilot! He's … the room at the end of the hall!"

            Duo didn't waste any time. Slamming the hilt of his gun into the man's temple, he easily rendered the soldier unconscious. Pausing only to steal his gun and abandon another that was nearly out of ammo, he dashed down the hall. 

            _Hang on, Heero, he thought. __I'm almost there …_

            Une looked up as she sensed someone opening the door of the cell. 

            "What are you doing back alr … what?!" she began, then yelped when her eyes registered the site before her. Furious steel blue glared into her from behind dual gun barrels, accompanied by a highly uncharacteristic, malicious grin.

            "Une! So glad to see you!" he said easily, striding into the room and glancing momentarily around the room. His eyes softened as they fell onto the limp figure in the chair.

            "Heero? Daijoubu?" Heero lifted his glazed eyes with difficulty to meet Duo's.

            "Hai … hai, daijoubu …"

            "Just what the hell is going on here?" Une demanded, drawing Duo's attention. 

            "Just here to bust out 01, Lady. Hope you don't mind. Actually, I don't care what you think because I'm doing it anyway!"

            "01? That's not pilot 01!"

            "Is too!"

            "And that would make you?"

            "Pilot 02. Pleased, I'm sure," Duo said, rolling his eyes. "You look a little pale, Lady … well, you should! This is all your fault, you know?! Stupid OZ and their stupid experiments …!"

            "Duo," Heero rasped, "sh-shut up …"

            "Hmph. Fine. Not as though she's gonna live to tell the tale anyway …" Duo said calmly. Une growled and reached for her waist, probably to get her gun, when Duo pulled a trigger. Une stumbled back, clutching a bleeding right shoulder. 

            "I'll let you off easy just now," Duo said. "Because you kept such good watch over my friend here. Throw your gun down. Now!"

            Une complied mutely, glaring daggers at Duo. Duo kicked the firearm away, and approached Heero with one gun still trained on the angry woman.

            "Gonna use your binds, Heero, okay? Gonna tie her," Duo said. "All right?"

            "All right …" Heero hissed, trying to ignore the pain that shot through him as Duo pulled at the wire that held him. As soon as he was free from the restraints he toppled to the ground, unable to hold himself up. Duo gave a sharp intake of breath.

            "Heero? Are you …?"

            "See to her," Heero said weakly. "I'm … fine …"

            Duo frowned deeply, but he took the wire and used it to securely tie Une, who was bleeding profusely from her shoulder wound.

            "Better hope your people find you soon, Lady, or that could leave a nasty scar," Duo said, dropping her roughly against the floor before going to Heero's side. He knelt carefully, for a moment forgetting the problem of time.

            "Heero," he said softly. "Really. Are you all right?"

            "I … I'll be okay," Heero said, unable to fight Duo as the boy pulled him into a sitting position and into his arms. "I think … they must have drugged me. Can't remember …"

            "Ah. That would explain it. My system doesn't react well to drugs," Duo said ruefully, pushing Heero's bangs out of his flushed face.

            "So I gathered …" Heero said weakly. 

            "Do you … suppose you could walk?" Duo asked gently. 

            "I … I will. I have to, ne?"

            "Well, that would help a lot," Duo nodded. "But if you can't, I'll think of something. Don't worry, I'll think of something …"

            "Help me up … I'll walk …"

            "Okay. But you tell me if you can't do it, Heero. For real. I don't want a gimped up body, you know," Duo said, attempting to joke as he hauled Heero to his feet. The boy leaned heavily against him, despite the fact that he was attempting to stand on his own. Duo put an arm around him and pressed a gun into his palm.

            "Can you hold this, at least?" 

            "Yes …"

            "Good. You can cover my back, Heero. I'll carry you."

            "What? Absolutely _not …!"_

            "What?! Want to fight about it?!" Duo offered, thrusting his face close to Heero's and glaring challenge. Heero watched him quietly with wide eyes, taken aback by the sudden closeness. Duo suddenly felt awkward at the position he was in, and pulled back again. He blinked, and the feeling was gone. He was staring into his own face again, and he turned to look at Une. 

            "Maybe … maybe I have another idea, Heero. Can I persuade you into an OZ uniform? There's an unconscious guard down the hall."

            "But … what do you mean?"

            "Une's gonna help us escape. Isn't that right, Lady?" Duo smiled sweetly at Une's scowling figure.

            Moments later they were headed down the hall, Heero limping against Duo's side and Une walking rigidly in front of Duo, a gun delving into her back between the bindings that roped her.

            "Doing okay, Heero?" Duo whispered.

            "Yes …" came Heero's muted reply. Duo reached up to secure the hat more firmly on Heero's head, making sure his braid was still tucked out of sight.

            "You are both insane!" Une snapped quietly. "The very _moment we meet any soldiers, you'll both just be captured again!"_

            "I don't really think so, Une," Duo said, nudging her to go faster. "They wouldn't want to risk harming their commanding officer and her faithful, already wounded soldier guard, would they? By the time your inept soldiers put two and two together, we'll be long gone and you'll be passed out from blood loss. No one gets too badly hurt, and we all just forget about this unpleasantness, hmmm?"

            "You're more of an idiot than I took you for," Une retorted. Duo just laughed, and continued to prod her down the hall. 

            "Just keep walking, and direct us to the nearest exit with a vehicle. Then, we'll let you go. Good deal, if you ask me. Heero, what do you think?"

            "Hn …"

            "See? Good deal."

            As Duo had predicted, the soldiers kept their distance as Duo appeared to direct his two 'hostages' onward. Une stayed silent, thanks to the gun in her back and the wooziness she felt from her throbbing gunshot wound, and Heero stumbled forward compliantly. Duo navigated him into a military truck, and dragged Une along with him as he rounded the side of the vehicle to get to the driver's side. 

            "Okay," he called out to the soldiers that were no doubt waiting in the shadows. "You can have your commander back, but I'm keeping the soldier with me to ensure that you don't pull anything funny! Follow us, and I'll make you regret it. That's a promise! So then, thanks for the escort, Une. Be seeing you!" With that he hit her squarely over the head, sending her the rest of the way into unconsciousness and pulling the door quickly shut as she crumpled to the ground. He then sped off into the darkness of the night, ignoring the stray bullets that bounced off the armored body of the truck. Duo glanced over at Heero, who slumped in the seat with a blank look on his pale face.

            "Heero? Sure you're okay? How bad does it hurt?"

            "Hn … doesn't. It's drugs, I think …"

            "Probably," Duo sighed. "Geez, Heero, scare me half to death why don't you!"

            "What about … your gundam?"

            "Ah, I busted it out earlier and hauled it with Wing as I 'retreated' from the _fearsome OZ defenses," Duo said wryly. "It's safe with Wing, hidden as far from the base as I could manage. They'll never find them. We'll be back for them later, huh?"_

            "Hn …" Heero muttered, hunching further into his seat. "How did you know … to look for me? How long has it been?"

            "Not that long," Duo assured him. "I … uh, well, Trowa and Quatre called me."

            "What?"

            "Quatre thought you were in danger, so … they called me in Wing's cockpit, and I sort of put it all together," Duo shrugged.

            "You were back … in Wing?"

            "Uh … yeah."

            "So, the disk? You have it?" Duo winced, and hesitated in his answer as he focused on the road. Heero scowled.

            "Duo? You do have it, right?!"

            "I, uh … not exactly …."

            "What do you mean by that?!"

            "I was gonna look, Heero, I swear! But I decided to research first, and I sort of fell asleep …"

            "You what?! Stupid baka! Are you _that dense?!" Heero burst, anger suddenly evident on the boy's face. "This isn't a game, you know! This should have proved that this isn't … isn't a fucking game! We need that disk!"_

            "Hell, Heero, I know," Duo defended himself, suddenly feeling ill at ease. Heero was really upset. "I kind of thought saving you was a higher priority!"

            "Hn … you should have been looking for the disk in the first place! Bakayarou!"

            "Well, _excuse me! I'll just leave you to rot next time, shall I?!"_

            "Maybe you should."

            "Fine!" 

            "Fine!"

            The ride was suddenly uncomfortably quiet.

            Heero tore off the uniform he wore as gracefully as he could manage, and crumpled it into a ball before using it as a makeshift pillow. He leaned against the door and pretended to sleep, just so that he wouldn't be coerced into talking to Duo again. He hadn't meant to snap at the boy, but he couldn't help it. His nerves were frayed as it was, and he wanted so desperately to have his own body back. He wasn't himself without it. Being Duo was difficult; more difficult than he wanted to admit. 

            And then there was the fact that he cared about the reckless pilot. There really was more to Duo than he showed on the surface, and the longer they were stuck pretending the more he saw it. Duo had always been an ally, a compatriot in his life's mission, but he was quickly becoming more. That made Heero uncomfortable … it scared him. 

            The look that he had seen in Duo's eyes earlier … that concerned, sensitive look which revealed so well that the boy was worried about him. It had been alarming to see an emotion so strong in the steel blue eyes that he had trained to be so reserved. He didn't think his body would be capable of looking like that again.

            Yes, that scared him. More than he wanted to admit.

            Duo kept his focus pointedly on the road, trying desperately not to look at the boy who sat curled in the passenger seat, sleeping off the effects of whatever drugs had been pillaging his system.

            He didn't know why he had snapped at Heero so easily. Heero had every right to be upset, and he probably wasn't even himself. Drugs could do interesting things to the strongest of people. It was plain to see that he was edgy around the boy, but he didn't want to admit to himself why.

            He was becoming far too attached. Being in Heero's body gave him the opportunity to see Heero in an entirely different light, and it was clouding his usually good judgment. Heero wasn't the type to put up with friendship, though Duo couldn't help but consider him a friend. 

            And maybe more. That's what really made him stop in his tracks. During the past few days Duo had gained a greater understanding of his stoic companion, and it was leading to thoughts that Duo knew he really should derail before they caused trouble. He was probably just imagining things, creating emotions that weren't really there. All the same, it was a very good thing that he had been staring back into his own face earlier, and not Heero's, when he had picked his wounded friend off of the floor and held him that close. 

            Because he didn't know what he might have done otherwise.

_ Continued_


	8. He Stole My Body!

**Title: Trading Faces**

**Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.**

**Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing, etc. Beware the drugged-up Heero in this chapter … it makes him a little angry ^_^;**

**Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. Guess I'll have to settle for owning this story (not a fair consolation if you ask me…) **

**A/N****: Thanks go to: ****Clairol (I'm glad it seems realistic so far, hopefully it'll stay that way!) ****Angel of Insanity (I'll try not to make the wait so long in the future, though I think I update pretty fast usually) ****lillie**** chan (Glad you like! *pats chibi Duo on the head* You too!) ****bunetwo (You don't have to be sorry! Yes, Une's perceptive … of course, just because she figured it out doesn't mean she knows _how it happened) _****Elle-FaTe2x1 (I hope you continue to enjoy!) ****LB (Shhh! Don't say that! If you say it, it'll never happen! Of course, I'm the author so I can do whatever I want! Vive 1x2x1!) ****Mana**** (Ah, copy and paste. I always hated that! I'm glad you like the fic!) and ****Violet (Publicity for me? Yay! Glad you like it so much!) Pay attention now, everyone, important stuff coming up in this chapter.******

_          _          _

            The door was forced open with an annoyed click, and a few seconds later it was slammed with shattering intensity. Quatre blinked to full alertness, and sat up from where he had been dozing on the couch next to Trowa. The tall boy had been awoken by the noise as well, and he turned his face toward the blond.

            "No, you stay here. I'll go see what's happening. Probably Duo and Heero …" Quatre said in answer to Trowa's silent question, and he pushed himself to his feet. Heading toward the kitchen where the back door was located, he met Wufei halfway there and exchanged a curious look. Wufei shrugged, and they continued toward the noise.

            "Have you told Barton yet?" Wufei hissed.

            "Huh? Oh, no … he's been asleep," Quatre replied quietly.

            "We'll confront Yuy and Maxwell now … then he will be able to hear it from their own mouths," Wufei said, scowling. Quatre frowned at the malicious expression.

            "Wufei, I don't really think …" he began, but whatever else he was going to say fell away as they entered the kitchen and came upon the two pilots. Quatre frowned at the disheveled state Duo was in, and he forgot all about Wufei's odd behavior. "Hey, guys, did everything go all ri…?"

            He was interrupted by a heated argument.

            "You know, you could at least _pretend to be grateful!" Duo growled at Heero, who leaned against the counter glaring at him. The boy had not lost his anger yet, and they had been at each other's throats ever since they had abandoned the stolen truck to walk the rest of the way home. With the drugs partially diluted in his system, Heero was much more alert and much more enraged. "I did risk my ass to save you, you know!"_

            "I didn't ask you to!" Heero retorted. "What I _did ask you to do was find the disk, which was apparently too much for you to handle!"_

            "What the hell is your problem anyway?!" Duo demanded, crossing his arms and scowling at Heero. Neither had noticed that they now had a rather confused audience in the doorway. "What did you want me to do?! 'My partner's in danger, but I can't help him because I'd rather go looking for a stupid piece of cursed metal'?!"

            "In case you've forgotten, that 'cursed metal' is probably our only chance! I just want things to go back to normal! Do you _like living like this?!"_

            "No! But it'd be kind of hard to go back to normal when one of us is _dead!" Duo argued. _

            "It wasn't my intention to put you in danger," Heero said, frowning at the implied tone of Duo's words. "I didn't ask to be captured!"

            "Yeah? Well, you're better than that. What the hell happened?!"

            "I might be better than that, but _you certainly aren't!"_

            "What?" Duo gasped, then growled. "Oh, right. Fuck you, too!"

            "I'm just telling the truth! You aren't fast enough! Your pain tolerance is pitiful, and it kind of made it hard to escape successfully," Heero said sharply. 

            "So I'm pitiful? Thanks," Duo said sarcastically, rolling his eyes and stalking over to the sink to get a glass of water. 

            "You know what I mean."

            "No. No, I don't," Duo replied rigidly. "Why don't you explain it to me? Oh, that's right, I must be stupid, too!"

            "If you say so," Heero said, a hint of smugness in his voice. Duo scowled more deeply and suddenly threw his glass in the sink, shattering it instantly. He whirled on the injured boy. 

            "What the hell is your problem?! Go ahead, _tell me!"_

            Quatre looked at Wufei, and Wufei looked back. Both of their faces held different degrees of shocked confusion.

            "Do you understand any of this?" the blond asked softly. Wufei shook his head.

            "No, but something bad must have happened. Yuy never loses control like this."

            "And Duo looks pretty bad off. Should we calm them down?"

            "I don't think that would make a difference," a voice said behind them, and the two whirled to find that Trowa had joined them. "They don't seem to notice that they are being watched."

            "Trowa! You shouldn't be up!" Quatre admonished half-heartedly. Trowa reached out to lean on him, smiling for a second or two.

            "I'm fine, Quatre. They aren't."

            "What do we do, then?"

            "What else can we do?" Wufei answered for him, turning back to the verbal spar. "We _watch."_

            "Do you really want to know what my problem is?" Heero growled. "Fine. My problem is _you, and your attitude about all this! You don't realize at all how serious of a situation this is! These are our __lives! You say __I can't act, then __you walk around with that stupid smile on your face when you think no one else is around! Stop making me smile! I __hate it!"_

            "Oh yeah? And how do you think I feel about that scowl on _my face?! Why don't __you stop scowling?! Huh?!"_

            "I have every right to scowl if I want to. I have every right to be angry!"

            "You know, if you weren't so beat up, I'd ….!" Duo trailed off, his hands fisted and shaking at his sides.

            "You'd what?! Attack me?!" Heero countered, then snorted. "Well, you're right about one thing. This body," he paused to point a finger at his own chest, "is too weak to stand any attack you could throw at it!"

            Duo snapped. His anger had become irrational, and it consumed him. Lunging with outstretched hands, he dove at Heero with fury burning in his eyes.

            "Shut up, Heero! Just _shut up!"_

            Quatre blinked, an unknown feeling nagging the back of his senses. Wufei stood, mouth slightly open in bewilderment, and Trowa had stiffened considerably at his side. The blond shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

            "Tell me I heard wrong," he whispered, his eyes locked on the Japanese pilot. "Did he just say … did he just say shut up _Heero?!"_

            The other two offered no answer. 

            Heero was surprisingly strong for being so injured; he managed to push Duo back with only a small yelp of pain. Duo shoved him back.

            "Oh, did that _hurt, Heero? So sorry! I forgot that I was so __weak!"_

            "You stupid baka! Are you trying to injure me further?!" Heero demanded.

            "I'm trying to get you to shut up!"

            "Well, I won't! You're a stupid baka and I can say so if I want to!" Heero said, barely dodging as Duo reached for him again. Reaching out, he pushed his fingers as sharply as he could manage against Duo's thigh. Duo recoiled immediately, jagged pain reminding him that the limb still had a rather tender gash. 

            "That fucking hurt!"

            "Too fucking bad!" 

            "That's it! No more!" Duo shouted, poising himself for another attack. Heero matched his stance despite his injuries.

            "Yuy! Maxwell!" A sharp yell interrupted their angry haze, and they both looked over with shocked stupefaction to see all three of their fellow pilots watching them with varied expressions. Wufei had shouted at them, and he took a step toward them as he frowned deeply. 

            "Oh shit …" Duo muttered under his breath.

            "What the hell is going on here?!" Wufei demanded hotly, looking from one to the other. "Well?!"

            "Well, you see …" Heero tried to start, then trailed off nervously. Three glares met his attempt. 

            "No, we _don't see," Quatre said, his voice oddly toneless. "Why don't you __explain it to us?"_

            "It's pretty fucking simple," Duo seethed, still angry despite the sudden tension. Thrusting a finger in Heero's direction, he scowled more deeply. "_He stole my body!"_

            "I did not!" Heero retorted. "As if I had any _choice in the matter!"_

            "Oh yeah, like I did either! If you'd just minded your own business …!"

            "You shouldn't have brought that stupid thing along in the first place …!"

            "And how was I supposed to know …?!"

            "How was _I …?!"_

            "Would you _both just shut up?!"_

            All eyes turned to the small blond, surprised by the strength of his shout. Quatre looked at Heero, then looked at Duo, then looked back again.

            "Would you like to try again?" he asked coldly.

            "Maybe if you'd just _listen," Duo retorted, glaring at the blond. "He. Stole. My. Body. How much clearer can I get?!"_

            "Hn," Heero gave the equivalent of a snicker, groping for a hold on the kitchen table and smirking at Duo.

            "What?!" Duo demanded.

            "You blew it," Heero said simply. "Now we have to tell them. No, _you have to tell them. It's your fault."_

            "But … but …" Duo tried to protest, and found no words to defend himself. "Damn."

            "I told you they were going to find out," Heero said. "Of course, we could have been fixed by now if you had just done what I told you to do!"

            "For the last time, shut up about that!" Duo snapped, his face growing hot as he felt all eyes on him. "You aren't even going to help me explain?" He gestured to the three confused, irate pilots that stood impatiently, awaiting explanation.

            "No." 

            "Tch. _Figures," Duo rolled his eyes. "Fine. But you guys gotta promise not to freak out, okay? Because if you freak out I don't think I'll be able to put up with it!"_

            "Just tell us," Trowa said, carefully expressionless.

            "Well, you see, Heero and I …"

            "Okay, stop right there," Quatre interrupted, his eyes hard. "_Heero and you?"_

            "Yes, Quatre, _Heero and me. I'm Duo, and that's Heero," Duo hissed, pointing at the wounded boy. "Welcome to hell."_

            "You're … Duo?" Wufei frowned, turning to look at the injured pilot. "Is this some kind of sick joke? How did you get Yuy to play along, Maxwell?!"

            With a slightly arrogant look on his face, Heero opened his mouth and said something in rapid Japanese. Duo snickered at the angry words.

            "You see? Do you think _I could do that normally? 'Course I can do it now, because I'm using Heero's brain and all, and …" he paused, glancing over at Heero. "Is my accent really __that bad?"_

            "Unfortunately," Heero nodded brusquely. "I can barely understand myself."

            "Okay, geez, sorry for asking," Duo retorted, rolling his eyes and turning back to the others. "So, do I need to give you guys time to pick your jaws up off the floor, or are we all still on board the Train of Fucked Up Shit?"

            "Oh my god …" Wufei muttered. "It might _sound like Yuy, but that was definitely a __Maxwell thing to say …"_

            "So …" Quatre said slowly, looking at the Japanese boy. "Duo …?"

            "Yeah."

            "Heero …?" The blond turned to the braided boy.

            "Hai."

            " … oh. _Oh."_

            "Now see why we didn't want to tell you guys? We were just gonna fix ourselves back to normal and everything was gonna be fine …" Duo said, trailing off as he saw their expressions. "Seriously. If you guys are gonna be sick or something, don't just _stand there."_

            "But … but how did this happen?" Quatre demanded.

            "Er, long story. _Really long …" Duo said. "Hey, Quatre, you don't look so good. You all right?" _

            "Um … yeah, I just …" Quatre fumbled, his face growing red. "It's nothing."

            "Oh no. We had to tell our deepest, dark secret. You'd better tell us what's bothering you," Duo said, his face solid. 

            "Well, as bizarre as this all is … it's actually an explanation. That's why you guys have been acting so weird lately?"

            "Pretty much," Duo shrugged.

            "Oh."

            "And …?" Duo prodded.

            "And … I sort of jumped to a different conclusion earlier. I, uh … didn't say anything, but … I was _really off."_

            "And that conclusion would be …?"

            "Really, it's nothing!" Quatre insisted. Duo looked to Heero.

            "Do you believe him?"

            "No."

            "Neither do I. Spill it, Quatre."

            "I sort of … thought you guys were … um …." Quatre paused, his face still flushed as he held his hands out and moved his palms toward each other. At their blank looks he sighed. "You know … together?"

            "You what?!" Duo shouted.

            "You what?!" Wufei echoed him, whirling on the blond.

            "You mean, you didn't?" Quatre asked Wufei. "But you said you sensed it too!"

            "No!" Wufei shook his head. "That's what you were talking about?! No!"

            "Well then, what _were you suspicious of?" Quatre asked. At that, Wufei suddenly shrunk back._

            "Never mind."

            "Wufei," Duo said sharply. "Quatre had to tell, you do to. What?"

            "But …!" Wufei began, then sighed in resignation. "Fine. I … thought you were harboring OZ secrets, okay? That's _all." He looked at the blond as he said the last two words, as if proving himself._

            Heero and Duo exchanged a nervous glance at Wufei's confession. Did he know about the disk …?

            "But, we know that that isn't true now, right guys?" Quatre said, noticing their apprehension at Wufei's words.

            Heero looked at Duo.

            Duo looked at Heero.

            "Right guys?" Quatre asked, frowning slightly. There was silence for a moment, and a look of agreement passed between the two pilots in question.

            "Run?"

            "Yeah."

            The two bolted out of the other doorway and down the hall, leaving three confused young men in their wake. It only took a second to shake off their shock, and they tore after the other two.

            "Maxwell! Yuy! Get _back here!"_

            Duo was considerably faster than Heero in his injured state, and soon noticed that the Japanese boy was falling behind. He whirled, grabbing his arm and pulling him along. 

            "C'mon! I'm still mad at you, ya know!"

            "Stop it! Duo!" Heero growled, hissing in pain. Duo came to a halt immediately, releasing the boy and catching him before he toppled to the ground.

            "Shit, I'm sorry Heero. Forgot you were hurt," Duo said softly, his anger dissolving immediately. Heero didn't seem angry anymore either, just exhausted. Duo sighed as he noted the glazed look in his violet eyes; the drugs were still doing a number on him after all. That was probably why Heero had been acting so upset … Duo suddenly felt regret for fighting the wounded boy.

            "I'm sorry, Heero, I'm really sorry," he said again, carefully lowering the boy to a sitting position and holding him upright. "You okay? Gonna be sick?"

            "No … don't think so …" Heero mumbled, bowing his head to hide his face from Duo. Duo reached out to gently nudge Heero's chin up.

            "C'mon, Heero, don't lie. I know what my own body's like, you know?"

            "I … I'll be okay," Heero said. "My shoulder …" Duo glanced down, noting the crimson stain blooming on the makeshift bandage that they had made for him earlier. Some of it was seeping through the ragged remains of Heero's shirt, staining the already dark cloth a darker hue.

            "Yeah, it's bleeding again. Sorry, my fault."

            "Stop apologizing."

            "Well, it is, isn't it? It's my fault. I'm really sorry."

            The others burst into the room, and Duo raised his face to look at them. They stopped immediately at the sight of Duo cradling Heero on the floor, their excitement fading instantly.

            "He's really hurt, guys. I forgot. I got so mad … I just forgot …" Duo shook his head apologetically. Quatre hurried forward immediately, forgetting the strange situation as his instincts kicked in. 

            "He's feverish," Quatre noted, placing a cool hand against Heero's forehead. "How badly is he wounded?"

            "His wounds aren't that severe. But they drugged him, and you know how my system reacts to drugs … well, his … well, you know," Duo trailed off nervously. Quatre just nodded, giving Duo a reassuring look. 

            "I'll help you get him upstairs and into bed, okay? We'll tend to him there. Wufei, would you get the medical supplies? Trowa … well, you just sit back down. You're hurt too, you know."

            "I _am capable of walking up stairs," Trowa said dryly. "I'll follow you two up there, anyway. Once we take care of him, I want some better answers." Duo nodded agreeably._

            "Sure, guys, sure. I'll tell you whatever the hell you want, just as long as we take care of Heero first."

            "That's all I ask."

            Quatre and Duo carefully lifted Heero between them, and gently maneuvered the boy toward the stairway. Quatre watched Duo's face carefully, amazed at the open emotion there on the usually stoic face. He never thought he would see such concern on Heero's face, but it did make sense, seeing as Duo was in there. 

            Duo's worry shined clearly in stormy blue eyes, his face contorted in acute anxiety. It was obvious, even without his extra senses, that Duo felt guilty for Heero's injuries … and something else. There was some other, stronger emotion hidden behind the rest, and Quatre tried to place it. Heero gave a groan of pain, and he turned his focus back to the injured boy for the moment. He would have to think about it later. 

            But he wondered if maybe his theory, at least on Duo's part, wasn't as absurd as they had assumed it to be.

_Continued_


	9. It's Not Fair

**Title: Trading Faces**

**Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.**

**Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing, etc. **

**Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. Guess I'll have to settle for owning this story (not a fair consolation if you ask me…) **

**A/N****: Thanks go to: ****Clairol (A talent for sap? If you say so …*grins*) ****Bryony (Sorry the running away thing was confusing for ya – but I'm glad you liked otherwise.) ****Angel of Insanity (Poor Duo and Heero, bickering like 5 year olds –hahaha, I had fun with that one!) ****Faye Maxwell (I'm not sure what you mean about the quote marks *scratches head* They're there … so …? *shrugs* Maybe your computer doesn't like the format? I dunno … anyway, thanks! Glad you like!) ****Elle-FaTe2x1 (Is Quatre on to something? I did say this was eventual 1x2 pairing, so … eventually, he'll have to be, ne? *grin*) ****Natasha (They were being pretty immature, ne? I couldn't resist …. Glad you liked! *waves*) ****ReySolo (I'm glad it's to your liking! Your roommate must like it to, if they recommended it … yay! I'm loved! Or something …) ****sapphire (I'm glad you think it's fun … I sure do!) ****Tori Sakana (Very perceptive of you … yes, it _is going to be very strange for poor Duo and Heero. I am a fan of happy endings, but that doesn't mean there won't be any trouble on the way!) _****LB (Yes, that would be horrible … so we'll just make sure it doesn't happen, ne?) ****Dreamer (I'm glad you're still reading, even with the dreaded copy/paste!)**

_          _          _

            "… So, that's basically what happened."

            "Tch," Wufei grunted, his arms crossed as he leaned against the bedroom wall, one foot propped up and resting on the faded wallpaper. "With a story like _that, 'basically' is not a word you should be using to describe it."_

            "So … you've been hiding this for _days?" Trowa asked. Duo nodded, shifting from where he sat on the floor, curled next to the bed. _

            "Yeah … did a pretty good job, too, if you ask me," he replied, glancing once more at Heero's sleeping figure. Quatre sighed.

            "The question is, what do we do now?"

            "Find the disk, I guess," Duo said, flinching a little. "That was my job, but I … well, got a little distracted. Then Heero needed saving, and I just …" He trailed off, throwing his hands up helplessly. "I didn't mean to screw up."

            "You didn't screw up," Quatre said gently. 

            "I just have one question," Wufei said, his face still dark. "You got the disk from OZ …"

            "Yeah."

            "And you knew that it was a danger to anyone who came in contact with it."

            "Uh huh. Your point?"

            "And you don't know if OZ has any more prototypes?" 

            "Not really …"

            "Just when did you plan on sharing this with the rest of us?!" Wufei demanded. "We could have been in danger, you know! Didn't you think we deserved to know that OZ has such a powerful weapon?!"

            "Geez, we were gonna tell you, honest. We just … uh, wanted to find out more first, and … Wu, come on. Stop looking at me like that!" 

            "You deliberately hid vital information from us! You _were harboring OZ secrets!" Wufei growled, pushing away from the wall and advancing on Duo. Duo's eyes widened, and he scooted away on the hardwood floor._

            "Wufei, come on. It's not like we were working with the enemy or anything!"

            "What you did was irresponsible! You could have destroyed everything! How could you?!"

            "Wu, really … c'mon, you're overreacting!" Duo tried to reason with him, pulling himself to his feet anyway in preparation for a scuffle. "Guys? Back me up here?"

            "He has a point, you know," Trowa said blandly. Quatre blinked.

            "This is too bizarre," the blond muttered. "Wufei's going to beat up Heero … only it's _Duo."_

            "Thanks for your _concern," Duo said sarcastically, scowling at the dazed blond. _

            "What else are you hiding?!" Wufei commanded. Duo's face grew stony.

            "Nothing, okay?! Would you just lay off?! It was hard enough telling you all this in the first place! Of course we didn't want anything bad to happen to you guys!" he ranted, coming back at Wufei with a furious glare. The cold gaze diminished Wufei's anger, and he took a step back as Duo advanced on him. "We were gonna tell you, you know! We just wanted to fix everything first! We knew you'd all think we were crazy if we came right out and told you! Think about it! What would _you have done in our situation?! Huh?!"_

            "Please, Duo," Quatre said sensibly. "Wufei didn't mean to offend you. We're all just a little shaken by this, that's all. Both of you, please just calm down?"

            "Tch. Fine. Why do you think I wanted to avoid this conversation in the first place?" Duo grumbled, stalking over to the bed and flopping down carefully on the bed. The action was enough to jar the mattress, however, and Heero groaned slightly as his eyelashes fluttered. He had been fading in and out of consciousness since they had bound up his injuries, and Duo leaned over him curiously to see if he was actually waking up. Narrow indigo slits peered up at him, and Duo gave a slight upturning of his lips at the sight.

            "Hey, how ya feelin', Heero?"

            "Mm, like hell …" Heero mumbled. Duo snickered.

            "Figured as much," he said softly, a small degree of commiseration in his voice. "Sorry, man, but I do know how you feel. And I can say that, you know, 'cause I really do. You … aren't mad at me anymore, are ya? I _am really sorry, just so you know."_

            "Wh-what? I'm not mad. Why would I … be mad?" Heero asked frowning.

            "Don't you remember what happened?"

            "What happened when? With OZ?"

            "No. After that. Don't you remember getting back to the house?"

            "Sort of … I yelled at you?"

            "Yeah, I guess you could say that," Duo nodded. "I guess the drugs still had a good hold on you, huh? You were being way more sarcastic than normal."

            "You … probably deserved it."

            Wufei snorted somewhere behind Duo, but Duo hardly noticed.

            "Wufei, hush!" the blond hissed, then raised his voice. "Duo, you should probably give him some space."

            "Ah, right Q. Of course," Duo said, scooting back on the quilts immediately. Heero's face froze in obvious panic, and he attempted to look around Duo.

            "Duo? What …?" he frowned. "Are the others …?"

            "Right behind me? Uh huh," Duo nodded. "You really _don't remember, do you? The others know, Heero. Hell, __you made me tell them." Heero groaned._

            "I _did?"_

            "Yeah. Don't worry too much, they took it okay. And they'd basically figured it out anyway, after listening to our argument. There really wasn't any other choice."

            "Oh …"

            "Anyway," Duo said, turning a little to get a better vantage of the others. "You were saying something about what to do now, Quatre?"

            "Uh … yeah. Now that we're all in on this together, we can always help you look for this disk thing."

            "You would do that?" Duo asked.

            "Of course," Quatre shrugged. "Although, I think it would be best to wait a few days, until Trowa and Heero have a chance to heal a little."

            "I'd have to agree," Duo nodded. "Especially if OZ is still patrolling."

            "OZ is patrolling?" Trowa frowned.

            "Well, I guess. That's what Heero thought. He went out to look for the disk at night, and said that he could tell someone was tailing him. It has to be OZ. Maybe they'll lay off after a few days though?"

            "It's worth a shot, I suppose," Trowa shrugged. Wufei shifted nervously.

            "Hm. There is no OZ patrol," he said softly. Everyone turned to look at him.

            "What?"

            "There were no OZ soldiers following Maxw …er, Yuy," Wufei admitted. "I followed him."

            "You?" Duo repeated.

            "Yes, me! He was sneaking off in the middle of the night! What was I supposed to think?!" Wufei retaliated. Duo held up his palms.

            "Whoa. I just asked. I'm actually glad to hear it. I was kind of freaked that OZ was onto us."

            "We shouldn't wait," Heero spoke up, silencing the room. "We need that disk, Duo."

            "Now, Heero, what did I say? The disk wasn't running off anywhere before, and it isn't going to now. It won't be any harder to find in a couple of days. You can't go running around in the forest like that."

            "But …"

            "No. Way. All right?" Duo shook his head. "Don't make me use the 'it's my body' excuse, because I will. Would you rather we left you and Trowa behind?"

            "Hn," Heero frowned.

            "See? It's settled then! You just rest here, and everything will be okay in a day or two, huh?" Duo said positively. "Man, you don't know how relieved I am. It feels great not having to hide anything! And I can't believe how well you guys are taking this. Well, anyway, I don't know about you guys but I'm starving! Have we got anything to eat? Ah, never mind, I'll go check." He stood and headed toward the door, but was stopped by a call from Heero.

            "Duo?"

            "Yes?"

            "No junk food."

            "Aww, but _Heero! Why not? They know now!"_

            "That wasn't the point in the first place."

            "Yeah, but …" Duo trailed off, and sighed glumly. "Fine. But it's still not fair." With that he whirled out of the room, leaving the rest of them in relative silence.

            "You know?" Quatre said. "We are taking this pretty well. Of course, I think I'm too shocked to react any differently …" 

*          *          *

            The house was oddly silent. Quatre found himself yet again in the kitchen, calmly chopping vegetables in the crispy sharp sunlight of mid afternoon. He was in the process of making a salad that he intended to serve at dinner; something nutritious to help Trowa and Heero heal faster. The two injured pilots had slept all night and through most of the day, waking in spurts to seek out a glass of water or fresh bandages. 

            He didn't know where Wufei was, but he guessed that the solemn Chinese boy had retreated to one of the more obscure places in the house in order to avoid the enigma that was Duo-in-Heero's-body. Ever since they had discovered the two pilots' secret, Duo had ceased any semblance of pretending to act like the Japanese boy. It was driving Wufei a little over the edge, and Quatre couldn't blame him. Even the blond was feeling taxed at the odd phenomenon of Heero's voice making jokes, Heero dashing about playfully, Heero _smiling. Quatre had to keep reminding himself very pointedly that it wasn't Heero. It was Duo. But it was still hard to adjust to the vast difference._

            Quatre paused in his methodic work, cocking his head to listen. There was _nothing. That could not be a good sign. Heero's body or not, Duo hadn't been silent for this long since … well, since Quatre could remember. Abandoning his leafy greens and carrots, the blond wandered out of the kitchen to glance around the other rooms of the house. _

            It didn't take long to find who he was looking for. Duo was standing in the living room, somewhat close to the stairway, facing away from the blond and holding something in his hands. Whatever it was happened to be shielded from Quatre's eyes, but Duo seemed very intent. After all, he was perfectly still and silent. Quatre walked forward.

            "Hee … er, Duo?" he spoke, blushing at his misspoken greeting. Duo turned to glance over his shoulder, the slip-up apparently not bothering him in the least. He raised one hand to motion for the blond to come closer.

            "Hey, Q-man, want to help me out?" he asked, his voice devoid of tone but at the same time mischievous. Maybe it was just the fact that he had called him Q-man, Quatre mused. Heero had never said that in his life.

            "What are you doing?" Quatre asked curiously.

            "Taking pictures," Duo said matter-of-factly. 

            "Of what?" Quatre said, frowning. There was nothing around except a normal-looking living room. 

            "Well, of me, if you must know," Duo shrugged, turning to fully face Quatre. Quatre realized that Duo was holding a small digital camera, and he glanced curiously at Duo's face.

            "Of you? But why?"

            "Well, of Heero, you know? I just thought …" he fidgeted a little. "None of us ever get to see him smile. But he can, you know. So I thought, before we get switched back, maybe I should document the undocumentable. But it's kind of hard to take good pictures when I'm taking _and posing at the same time. So … wanna help?" Quatre didn't say anything for a moment, and then he smiled softly._

            "I'd love to, Duo. I think it's a great idea," Quatre said, holding his hand out for the camera. Duo surrendered it immediately. "But are you sure Heero's okay with this?"

            "Huh? Oh, who cares?" Duo said, waving his hand through the air dismissively. "If he wants to take pictures of me scowling and looking like I got a stick up my ass, he's more than welcome. Now, I've got three film cards[1] for this thing, and I think we might as well fill 'em up. Do you think?"

            "Sure, Duo, sure," Quatre nodded. 

            "Great!" Duo said cheerfully, an odd sound from Heero's throat, then without hesitation he struck a ridiculous pose and stuck his tongue out. Quatre burst into giggles.

            "Duo!" he protested weakly. "That's … so funny! I didn't know Heero could be so expressive."

            "Yeah, he's a regular Boy Wonder. Now are you gonna take the picture or not?" Quatre raised the camera to his eye and gleefully took the shot. His vegetables had definitely been forgotten.

            Heero was drawn by the sound of laughter. Quatre's and … he frowned for a moment, trying to place the other source, and grimaced when he realized that it was Duo. He took a moment to steady himself where he stood, clutching the doorframe, then took a few wary steps into the hall. He was painfully thirsty, and decided that that particular need outweighed resting in bed. Careful to keep the railing within easy reach, just in case, Heero began his descent down the stairway. He wanted a drink. And he wanted to know what was so damn funny.

            "Last card, Duo," Quatre said, shaking the small, gray square at Duo as Duo pocketed the full card. 

            "Great. I think some of these are gonna turn out pretty good, once I get a chance to print them off somewhere," Duo replied. 

            "How do you want to fill this card?" Quatre asked. Duo paused in contemplation.

            "I don't really know," he finally said. "I kind of wish I had a vid-cam right about now. You know, so we could have a fun home movie of Heero doing the 'I'm a Little Teapot' dance or something." Quatre nearly choked on a burst of laughter.

            "Oh Allah," he giggled. "I did not need that image, Duo!" Duo grinned widely.

            "You want to see it, Quat? Huh?" 

            "No, Duo, please," Quatre gasped. "I think I won't be able to breathe!"

            "Tch. Okay. Maybe later," Duo said in compromise. "Let's just finish the pictures, huh? How about this?" And without further ado, Duo calmly stuck all of his fingers in his mouth, prying his lips away from his teeth in a horrible face. Quatre rolled his eyes in amusement, but lifted the camera anyway to snap the shot. 

            It was then that Heero stumbled out of the stairway.

            "What … what the hell are you doing?!" he growled furiously, his face growing deadly. Duo yelped, pulling his hands away from his face and whirling to face the irate boy.

            "Um, hi Heero," he said weakly.

            "Answer me! What the _hell are you doing?!"_

            "Taking some pictures?" Duo said, then sighed at the scowl on Heero's face. "It's no big deal."

            "It's no big deal?! You're making a fool out of me! That's my face! Who said you could do that?" 

            "Who said I couldn't?!" Duo retorted, reaching out to put protective hands over the camera in Quatre's hands. 

            "Give it here. Now."

            "No."

            "_Yes, Duo."_

            "It's my camera!"

            "I'm deleting those pictures," Heero growled.

            "Like hell you are," Duo snorted, whirling and pulling Quatre with him. Leaning close to the blond's face, he whispered to the boy. "Take the camera and hide it, okay? I'll distract him." With that he spun Quatre and pushed him away, then hunched into himself as if he was hiding the camera against his stomach beneath his arms. 

            "There's no way you're getting this camera from me, Heero, so give it up!"

            "Duo!" Heero shouted, lunging at the boy with unsteady legs. Duo sidestepped him and ran past Heero, bounding up the stairs cackling.

            "Catch me if you can, Heero!"

            Heero caught up to Duo as the escaping boy ran into his bedroom, unsuccessfully trying to shut Heero out. Heero plowed the door in, glaring furiously at Duo. 

            "Give it!"

            "No."

            "Damn it!" Heero roared, rushing Duo with what strength he had. Still slightly unstable from his condition, Heero lost his balance and ended up tripping forward, falling onto the bed with Duo beneath him. Duo gave a small cry of surprise, and flailed his arms as much as he could to protest the movement. 

            Pressed against Duo's stomach, Heero blinked away his dizziness and came to a conclusion. Duo didn't have the camera at all. He rolled off of the boy with a grunt of frustration, his eyes cold as he carefully got to his feet once more. Duo stayed sprawled on the mattress, making a very exaggerative show of trying to catch his breath. The determination in Heero's eyes made him stop short.

            "Aw, Heero, don't be mad," Duo said. Heero didn't even look at him, he just marched out of the room quietly. Duo frowned. He knew that look. He knew what that look felt like on his face; he only felt it every time he decided to play a trick or do something equally malicious. He felt a slight knot of uncertainty form in his stomach, and suddenly he shot after Heero.

            Heero walked pointedly down the hall to his room, ignoring the fact that Duo was on his heels, complaining loudly the whole way. He went into his own bedroom, Duo following closely. Approaching the small desk, he kept his face turned away from his shadowing companion as he rummaged through a flimsy drawer.

            "You had better tell me where that camera is, Duo," Heero said calmly.

            "Oh yeah? And if I don't?"

            Heero smirked over his shoulder, the expression nothing short of devious. Turning slowly to face Duo, he reached behind his head to grab his braid. In the other hand, he coolly lifted a pair of gleaming scissors.

            Duo's eyes widened, and he blanched. He shook his head furiously.

            Heero nodded.

            Duo panicked.

            "Noooooo!" 

            In the front foyer of the house, tucked away from the main traffic of the others and next to the front door that they didn't use for security reasons, sat Wufei. A dog-tagged, worn paperback lay on his knees; he had been enjoying the quiet solace when a cry shattered his peace.

            "Noooooo!"

            After the shout came a considerable amount of clattering and stomping, the hurried falls of scrambling footsteps and crashes of objects as they were knocked to the floor. Wufei looked up at the ceiling, sighed, and set his book aside reluctantly. As much as he would have liked to ignore the ruckus, he knew he should go investigate. 

            He was nearly bowled over as he entered the living room and jumped aside as Heero's figure dashed by, clutching a pair of scissors to his chest protectively. He watched the Japanese boy leap the couch, effectively putting the furniture, and Wufei, between himself and the braided boy that raced into the room after him, clamoring down the stairs only paces behind the other.

            Wufei had to remind himself that the boy with the scissors was Duo, and the boy with the frazzled braid was Heero. Heero was glaring viciously, his violet eyes intensely trained on Duo. Duo looked shaken.

            "Stay away, Heero! Leave my braid alone, you sick bastard!"

            "Duo!" Heero barked.

            "Okay, time out!" Wufei demanded, positioning himself between the two bickering pilots and taking the most intimidating stance he could manage. "Tell me what the problem is. _Now."_

            "He was gonna chop my braid!" Duo said heatedly, waving the scissors to prove his point. 

            "Just give me the camera, and I won't do a thing!" Heero retorted.

            "No! It's not fair! It's not like you won't get your face back if I take a few pictures! If you cut off my braid it's gone! It's not _fair!" Duo shouted, close to tears. "Fei, don't let him hurt my braid!"_

            "Maxwell, put the scissors down before you gouge something," Wufei snapped, irritated at their childish behavior. "Yuy, stop resorting to juvenile threats. You _will leave Maxwell's braid in tact, and Maxwell, you __will give Yuy whatever it is you probably hid from him. Understood?!"_

            "Yes," Heero replied curtly. Duo tightened his lips, looking for a moment as if he was going to protest, then he threw the scissors to the couch and crossed his arms with a huff. 

            "Fine," he grumbled. "Quatre has the camera. Just leave my braid alone!" Heero turned to leave the room immediately, probably to track down the blond and demand the camera. Duo knew Quatre would give it up; he didn't blame him, though. He watched Heero go, then slumped dejectedly.

            "You know, Fei? This sucks. I miss how it used to be. I miss my braid and my clothes and junk food. I miss being able to annoy the hell out of Heero without having to look into my own goddamn face. I didn't want this, you know? I really didn't."

            "Maxwell," Wufei said, and then sighed. He could think of nothing to say to make Duo feel any better. "Nothing, Maxwell. Nothing."

            "I'm going for a walk," Duo said, moving toward their improvised coat closet near the kitchen's entrance to retrieve his coat. "I need to get out of here for a while. You'll … you'll make sure Heero calms down, won't you, Fei? Please?" Wufei blinked as he returned Duo's gaze. It might have been Heero's face, but the emotion there, the pleading, it was all Duo. He nodded curtly.

            "I will, Maxwell."

            "Thanks, Fei. See you later, huh?" With that he pulled his jacket on and went into the kitchen, tromping across the linoleum toward the back door. Wufei watched him leave, a concerned look floating across his features. He then turned and went to find Heero. He had made a promise to Duo. The least he could do was make sure that Heero didn't do anything irrational.

_Continued_

  


* * *

[1] Film cards – okay, I don't know what those things for digital cameras are really called, that's just what I call them. Because they're like film, only they're little disk/card things. I'm sure they have a proper name, but … *shrugs* 


	10. Just A Dream

**Title: Trading Faces**

**Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.**

**Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing, etc. 3x4 popping up again …**

**Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. Guess I'll have to settle for owning this story (not a fair consolation if you ask me…) **

**A/N****: Thanks to: Faye Maxwell, Angel of Insanity, Bryony, Clairol, Elle-FaTe2x1, Terrasa, Violet, Kuso-chaN**

_          _          _

            Duo wandered aimlessly, hands plunged into the pockets of his jacket as his footsteps echoed hollowly on the paved sidewalk. A blast of wind assaulted the back of his neck, sending an involuntary tremble through his frame; it was a painful reminder that his braid wasn't there. His braid would have normally protected him from the damn ice-wind, but that wasn't possible anymore. His braid was attached to a sadistic bastard that was probably at this very moment gleefully smashing his digital camera into itty bitty pieces. It wasn't like he had done anything _wrong …_

            His fingers clutched a small square of hard plastic, and a ghost of a smile flitted across his face. The other two film cards had no doubt suffered the wrath of the Perfect Soldier, but this one was safe and sound. Come hell or high water, Duo wasn't letting it into Heero's sight. He'd have his damn pictures, that was for damn sure. 

            He sighed, ultimately unaware that his feet were no longer on solid pavement as his mind mulled over other things. He wouldn't have even needed the pictures, if he wasn't so damn afraid. Afraid of never seeing the most beautiful smile he had ever seen ever again. 

            Heero had one hell of a smile, even if he never ever used it. Duo had discovered it once when staring into the mirror, and as a result had stayed in the bathroom far longer than Heero would have permitted if he hadn't been bedridden. Sure, he had smiled as Heero before, but he had never been able to see himself. Staring at his reflection as he smiled for all he was worth, he knew he was onto something. It twinged his soul and refused to stop nagging him until he had made sure he would be able to see Heero's smile any time he wanted. Because after they were switched back, Duo doubted that Heero's face would ever crack again.

            That thought hit him hard, and Duo had no idea why. Okay, so he had an idea why, but it was an absurd thought that shouldn't have been running around in his head in the first place. It was the result of stress and trauma and all sorts of other things that he was probably suffering due to the switch. He didn't want to admit that it might be true. He didn't want to hand his heart over to something he would never be able to have.

            So he was falling for Heero.

            Hard.

            Fast, too, but that was beside the point. The point was, he felt closer to Heero than he ever thought he would, and he knew it wouldn't last. Because once they got switched back Heero would go back to glaring and 'hn'ing, treating Duo like a sub-standard but tolerable soldier and nothing else. He'd probably pretend that the whole goddamn ordeal had never happened at all, Duo thought dolefully. He didn't care if Heero ever returned his sentiments in the same degree, but he wanted Heero to be his friend.

            He'd settle for that. He didn't want to push his luck.

            All the same, he'd sooner die than lose his chance at having a smiling Heero. Even if it was only in a picture.

*          *          *

            He didn't remember falling asleep. 

            Yet here he was, in a dreamscape that had an all-too-familiar feel.

            He didn't fight it. He had long since learned not to fight the nightmares. Fighting them was always fruitless, and it just made him feel worse. He was weak when it came to this sort of battle. He couldn't defeat his own subconscious, no matter how hard he tried.

            So he didn't try. He went peacefully, wondering what was plaguing his mind now. His weak subconscious mind. He had never told anyone that his subconscious was so fragile. It was unfitting of a soldier. The others never would have let him live it down. They didn't have stupid, childish nightmares. They certainly didn't _cry in their dreams._

            Yes, he was crying. He could feel the odd sensation of warm wetness trailing down his gritty cheeks, a feeling that was only an echo of experience. He couldn't remember actually having cried in real life, but even he was a child once. Perhaps he had cried then. He really didn't recall.

            It was dark in his dream, and he felt very small. Small and helpless and pathetic, huddled between the rubble on the dirty cement of a world he had never seen before. Before him, the shapeless dark buildings burned with horrible orange flames that towered up, up, up into the nothingness that was probably the sky. He felt a shudder quake through his tiny body, and he hugged himself against the tremors. 

            This wasn't right. This _wasn't the world of __his nightmares._

            _She lay before him, smiling despite it all as she struggled for her last breaths. She reached one bloody hand toward him, beckoning him, and he recoiled with a whimper of despair._

            _My fault …_

            He frowned, or at least he would have if the dream had not taken such a strong hold of him. It wasn't his fault. He didn't know who the dying woman was. Where had that thought come from …?

            There was another body, too. Another body, suddenly close to him. Its tousled head lay on his knees, and his small hands were securely fisted around the body's ragged clothing. It was another boy, a small boy with a serene look on his pale, cold face. He was dead. Startled, he tried to shove the body away from him, but the dream wouldn't let him. The tears grew harsher.

            _All my__ fault …_

            It wasn't, he protested, but the words wouldn't form on his lips. His voice was locked away somewhere far away, someplace where the dream didn't have control. But the dream was controlling him …

            There were suddenly bodies everywhere. Old people and children, babies and teenagers and soldiers alike.  All dead and rotting and burning in the flames that circled even closer. He was soaked with blood. Their blood. Blood of the countless innocents that had been _his fault. He felt like screaming._

            Then the pain came. He was used to the phantom pains; this was more like the dreams he had become accustomed to. He didn't struggle against it like he did most times; he let unseen hands beat him and break him, because he was still too horrified by the flashes of all those bodies …

            "You are nothing but weakness … just look at you!"

            "Can't even fight back, hmm?"

            "Worthless …"

            "Stop whimpering like a baby! The pain will make you stronger!"

            "Do you want to be perfect or don't you?! Pick up the gun!"

            The voices swirled around him, and suddenly his hands closed around the comforting feel of a firearm. He closed his eyes and began to fire, not caring who or what was hit by the flying bullets. His voice found him at last and he started to scream, trying to block out the jeering and the blank, empty faces of all those people … all his fault …

            He woke up with a start, jolting to a sitting position and clutching the tangled sheets desperately. 

            His breath was short and panicked; he willed himself to calm as the shouts and images faded to nothing in his mind. Slowly, he lay back down, rubbing a palm against his damp face as a final shudder shot through him.

            He had never had a dream like that. He often relived bits of his training in his sleep, the beatings and the taunts of his mentor. But the bodies, the fire … he had never seen that before. 

            But at the same time, he knew it was real. That woman and that boy …

            It had happened. But it hadn't happened to him.

            Had those been Duo's experiences, then?

            Was he seeing something that belonged to Duo?

            Heero squeezed his eyes closed, and willed the memories to disappear.

            It was just a dream, after all. Just a dream …

*          *          *

            Duo suddenly realized where his feet had taken him. He was in the middle of a forest … _the forest. He paused, taking a moment to collect his bearings as he looked around the peaceful trees. Had he really walked far enough to be back in the area of the disk? It was possible, he supposed. He had been quite lost in his thoughts._

            An idea took hold of him, and he smiled slowly. He'd show Heero he wasn't an idiot. He was going to find that stupid disk all by himself.

            Taking note of where he was, he picked a direction and started walking. Heero had very careful eyes, and Duo took full advantage of his good sight to scan the underbrush for any possible glint of metal. It couldn't be that hard, he figured. After all, wouldn't something shiny and round stick out amongst twigs and dead leaves?

            It was growing dark, the sunset turning everything a pale golden color, and Duo scowled. He'd been wandering for hours and had gotten no where. Maybe the disk _had sprouted legs and ran off, he mused darkly. Using his improvised walking staff, a sturdy albeit withered tree limb that had been mostly stripped of its bark, he stabbed angrily at the air and gave a small cry of frustration. Turning the stick into a javelin, he hurled it as hard as he could into the woods. It clattered against a tree and toppled to the earth, out of Duo's view. _

            He really didn't want to give up, but the situation just kept looking more and more bleak. He really wanted to show Heero that, for once, he wasn't a screw-up. That he really could do something when it came down to it. He was tired of being Duo the Baka. He wanted to be Duo the Triumphant. Yeah, he liked the sound of that.

            Lost in his reverie, his foot snagged against tree root and, with a yelp, he toppled forward face first into the loamy earth.

            Scratch that. Duo the Klutz.

            He spit the leaves and grit away from his mouth, groaning as he slowly started to push himself up. He opened his eyes, and froze. No freaking way.

            Duo the Lucky-As-All-Hell_ Klutz._

            No. Freaking. _Way. His eyes had to be playing tricks on him._

            "Well, _shit," he muttered, pulling himself forward and swatting away the dry, brown leaves that covered the ground in front of him. His eyes lit up. "C'mere you little bastard!" He reached out, his cold fingers latching onto it. It was real, and he let loose a whoop of delight. It was the disk! The very same god-awful cursed piece of OZ folly, in tact and still blinking its stupid little red light! He jumped to his feet, clutching the device to his chest and dancing back and forth from one foot to the other in excitement. He really had it, he really did!_

            Turning on his heel and laughing aloud to the desolate forest, he took off at a run. He had to get back to the house!

*          *          *

            The door banged against the wall as it was thrown open, and Duo pranced in. Wufei did a double-take, gawking despite himself. Yuy's body was _prancing. Duo waved at him, practically skipping across the linoleum._

            "Maxwell?" Wufei frowned. "What's with you?"

            "Oh, nothing, Wu," Duo shrugged. 

            "You missed dinner," Wufei said sharply. "We thought something happened. You should have said something if you planned to be gone so long."

            "Aw, I'm a big boy, Wu."

            "Hm," Wufei crossed his arm, snorting softly. "You're certainly in a better mood." Duo nodded, moving toward the refrigerator to pilfer from the leftovers.

            "Oh, you know," he said dismissively. "I had time to cool off. Walk … think … find the disk … you know."

            "Oh, well I gu-what?!" Wufei faltered in mid sentence, nearly spilling the glass of water he was holding. "You found it?!"

            "Sure," Duo shot back, stuffing some random food into his mouth and chewing as he shut the refrigerator's door again. He swallowed as he smirked at Wufei's shocked face. "I'm not an idiot, Fei. I _am capable of remembering and retracing a path from a few days ago. I was out, so I figured why not?" Okay, so that was a big exaggeration, but it was __sort of the truth, Duo reasoned in his mind._

            "Well, where is it?!" he demanded. Duo patted his coat pocket and began to slip the garment off as he walked toward the coat closet.

            "Want to see? Let's go show Heero, huh? He's gonna be so surprised," Duo said, rummaging through his pocket briefly and pulling the disk out before hanging the jacket up. Wufei followed him into the living room, glancing curiously at the circular object. Duo turned around, and suddenly his eyes widened. Trowa and Quatre were curled up on the couch, in a rather _compromising position._

            "Gah!" Duo cried, throwing one hand over his eyes dramatically. "PDA! PDA![1]"

            "Duo!" Quatre yelped, immediately pulling back from the taller boy. Trowa made a disapproving noise in his throat, looking at Duo sternly.

            "It's called _kissing, Duo, and it's nothing to get uptight about."_

            "Oh, is that what it's called?" Duo replied, peeking through his fingers at the pair. "I was under the impression that it was something more along the lines of 'tonsil-exchanging face sucking'!"

            "Duo, please! Don't be crass!" Quatre pleaded, obviously embarrassed. Duo let his hand drop, smiling apologetically.

            "Sorry. Couldn't resist."

            "Wufei said you were upset," Quatre said. "He told us about the, um … disagreement. I had to give him the camera, Duo, I'm sorry!"

            "It's okay, Quatre," he said, tapping the side of his nose. "I've got back up."

            "Oh?" Quatre said curiously. "Well, I'm glad you aren't upset anymore."

            "Why would I be upset?! I'm about to save the day here!" he said happily, lifting his other hand to proudly display his round, blinking prize. "Tada!"

            "Is that … the disk?" Quatre asked.

            "The very same!" Duo nodded. "I'm gonna go show Heero. Wanna come? Might be cool to watch!" 

            "If … if you want us to," Quatre said, glancing at Trowa to judge his reaction. The banged boy nodded, and they stood. Duo turned toward the stairs, and took them two at a time as he hurried to find Heero. He trusted the others would follow.

            Heero was in the hall when Duo made it to the second floor, probably returning from a trip to the bathroom. He stopped short as he saw Duo's face, ignoring the others as they came up behind him.

            "What's that look for?" he demanded.

            "Feeling any better, Heero?" Duo asked lightly.

            "Hn," Heero shrugged. "Well enough. Why?"

            "Oh … just wondering how I'm gonna be feeling after I … get my body back!" Duo said dramatically, bringing the disk out from behind his back and holding it up smugly. Heero's eyes widened.

            "You … you found it!" Duo smirked; was that a hint of excitement that he detected in Heero's voice? Nodding enthusiastically, Duo took a few steps toward the other boy. 

            "I did. It was my job after all, right?" he said, trying not to sound too eager to please. Heero gave a small smile, and Duo felt satisfaction. It might have been his own face, but Heero was the one making it smile. That meant he was happy, right? "So, are you ready to have your body back?"

            Heero merely held out his hand, and Duo held back a laugh.

            "Well, hold on a sec," he said. "I gotta hit a few buttons, you know? Like last time."

            "Do it, then."

            "Hmm, okay," Duo replied, looking down at the object in his hands. He tried not to hesitate, but he honestly didn't know which buttons to push. They'd only wound up pushed last time because it was dark and Duo had slammed into Heero's back. Duo pushed one button, and then another. Nothing seemed to be happening, but he didn't let it show.

            "Uh, just give me a second," Duo said. "Stupid piece of …"

            "Duo," Heero sighed, tension obvious in his voice. Duo took another couple of steps until he was right in front of the impatient boy.

            "Okay, Heero, just grab hold, and we'll get this thing going," he said, extending his hand slightly so that Heero could hold onto the disk as well. Heero took it between his fingers calmly, and after a second he frowned.

            "It's not the same, Duo," he said sharply.          

            "Is too, Heero," Duo retorted. "This is the damn disk, all right."

            "I know that," Heero said. "But it doesn't feel the same as last time. Last time … it pricked me."

            "You too?" Duo rose an eyebrow. "Huh. I thought I was imagining that. Just hold on, let me fiddle with it a bit more." Heero nodded, but it was plain to see that the boy was getting more intolerant of the lack of action. 

            Duo growled a little as his next attempt failed, and the next. The disk simply wasn't _doing anything. He finally ripped it away from Heero's hand, holding it close to his face._

            "Damn you!" he cursed the object. "What the hell is your problem? Do you need batteries or something?"

            "Duo, could we look at it?" Quatre offered, taking a step toward them. Duo shook his head.

            "Don't wanna risk it, Q," he said shortly. "I don't want you to have to touch this thing unless you have to." He shook it harshly, listening for any suspicious rattling inside. "_Sounds okay."_

            "Duo, what's wrong with it?" Heero demanded. Duo snorted.

            "Hell if I know," Duo said. "Maybe it's jammed, or having a glitch, or I'm not hitting the magic button. Geez, it's not like I'm an expert or anything! Dammit … last time, this little screen thingy had words scrolling. Now it's blank. Maybe it isn't turned on?"

            Heero was shaking, his face cracking with an odd expression. Duo continued to fiddle with the disk, while the others stood by helplessly. But nothing was getting a reaction out of the device.

            "I just don't get it," Duo sighed. "It was more than willing to work _last time …! Hey!" He shouted in vain as Heero suddenly swiped the disk out of Duo's hands, his face full of dangerous fury. _

            "No!" he cried, crushing the disk in his fist briefly before throwing it heatedly into the wall. It thudded against the surface and clattered onto the floor harmlessly, spinning away from their feet on the hard surface. Heero snarled at it, and turned to stomp down the hall. He was still shaking all over. Duo watched him go with unbridled concern. The boy was overreacting, big time. Something was wrong.

            Glancing apologetically at the others behind him, Duo took off down the hall after Heero. The boy had stopped just past the next doorway, his head bowed and his arms stiff at his sides. 

            "Hey, Heero?" Duo said gently, placing a hand lightly on the boy's shoulder. Heero shrugged him off roughly, flinching away from the touch. Duo sighed and maneuvered around him, so that he could bend to peer into Heero's tilted face. 

            "Doushita[2], Heero?" he tried again, speaking Japanese to effectively cut the others off from the conversation. The native words seemed to stir a reaction out of Heero, who slammed a fist half-heartedly into the wall before replying in his poorly accented but fluent Japanese.

            "It's just not fair! Not when we were this close? Why won't it work?!" he hissed desperately. 

            "Heero, come on," Duo said, continuing in Japanese without even thinking about the oddity of the language. He was too focused on the boy in front of him. "I know it looks bad, but it might take a while to get a hang of the stupid thing, ne?"

            "This … can't be happening," Heero muttered. "I can't function like this. I can't!"

            "Heero, look at me," Duo said, not missing the slight tremor in his companion's voice. When Heero refused, Duo used a finger to tap Heero's chin up. Heero lifted his head but turned his eyes toward the wall, refusing to meet Duo's gaze. Duo's eyes widened slightly, noticing the suspicious gleam in Heero's eyes. Then, one traitorous droplet escaped to mar his cheek. Heero scowled.

            "You're crying," Duo whispered. Heero's shoulders stiffened.

            "Don't be ridiculous," he snorted. "I have never cried before. I don't know _how to cry. Why … why would I be crying?"_

            "Heero," Duo said almost wistfully, reaching out to trace the tear away and catch a few others slid down after the first. "You might not know how to cry, but Duo Maxwell does." Heero looked up at that confession, his expression suddenly open and fearful.

            "How do I make it stop?" he whispered, pleading.

            "You don't," Duo said, slipping back into English. "You can let it out, though, Heero. It's okay. I won't think any less of you. It's me that's crying, not you. Okay? Okay, Heero?"

            "Okay," Heero whispered.

            "I know this sucks. Hell, I kinda feel like crying too," he admitted lightly, reaching to clasp Heero's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "It has to work again. We just don't know how to work it yet. We'll figure it out yet, huh? We'll get through all right. We always do."

            Heero just nodded, and Duo glanced over the boy's shoulder. He noticed that the others had gracefully bowed out of the scene, giving them a little privacy. The disk was no longer on the floor; one of them must have picked it up. He hoped they were being careful …

            "You gonna be okay, Heero? Want me to stick around … or, or get lost, or what?"

            "I …would like to be alone. For now," Heero said quietly, momentarily meeting his eyes before dropping his gaze to the floor in embarrassment. "Thank you, Duo."

            "Aw, don't mention it," Duo said, trying to mask the awkwardness. "I'm gonna see to the others. Try to get some more sleep if you can stand it, okay?" Duo expected an indignant remark, or at least some kind of 'hn', but the boy merely nodded and turned toward the bedroom once more. Duo watched him go, suddenly feeling like hell. Heero was coming apart just as much as he was.

            For the moment, he was grateful for the Perfect Soldier mask that he was forced to wear. He probably would have been sobbing like a little baby otherwise.

            "I hope you guys are being careful with that thing," Duo announced as he came into the living room. The disk lay on the coffee table; Quatre was bent over it, with Wufei and Trowa leaning over either shoulder curiously. "Only touch one at a time, and if it stings you, you'd better run like hell."

            "We can look at it though, right?" Quatre asked hopefully. "Maybe we can figure out if something's wrong with it?" Duo could tell he was offering because both he and Heero were too wrecked to try, but the blond was courteous enough to keep such things unsaid. Duo nodded.

            "Sure guys, whatever you want. I just hope it's not busted … you know, beyond fixing." There was an uneasy pause, then Quatre smiled bravely.

            "Of course we'll fix it, Duo. Everything will be fine. Just fine."

            "Sure Q-man. Sure it will," Duo said, though he couldn't help but doubt the words. "I'm really kind of tired, so I'm going to bed, okay?"

            "Go ahead. Sleep well," Quatre replied. 

            "Good night," Trowa said, and Wufei merely nodded to him. Duo mumbled something back and turned to head back up the stairs. He felt like curling up to sleep, and never waking up. 

            Heero stared at the bed, weighing the pros and cons of getting back in. He was sure, in his injured state, that he could stand a little more rest. However, just the thought of another nightmare as vivid as the last was enough to keep him away from the normally inviting mattress. 

            With a final sigh he turned away from the sheets, making a decision. 

            He didn't want to sleep again, not if that would be the price.

            He would just stay awake for now, even if that meant facing the horrible fact that perhaps he was stuck like this forever. Maybe this would become his body, his reality. He couldn't let his expectations get too high, just in case …

            Just in case it was all false hope.

            Just in case getting his own life back was nothing but a dream.

  


* * *

[1] PDA – We all know what this means, right? Public Display of Affection? Just everyone nod their head and say "Of _course we do!" (Hey, someone might not!)_

[2] Doushita – Sort of like "What's the matter?"


	11. Moving On

**Title: Trading Faces**

**Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.**

**Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing, etc. **

**Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. Guess I'll have to settle for owning this story (not a fair consolation if you ask me…) **

**A/N****: Wow, it took me much longer than I expected to get this done … I hate midterm week. Sleep deprivation and lack of free time is _not fun. But it's basically over now! Yay! Very big thank-yous go to: Midnight, Terrasa, Tori Sakana, Elle-FaTe2x1, Natasha, Hellcat, lillie chan, Solus Nox, LB, shinigami angel, Violet Yuy-Maxwell, Demon Vampyre Goddess, Angel of Insanity, Foxfire, Liliku, Dreamer, DreamWeaver, SilverShinigami, Bryony, bunetwo, and Clairol for all of your encouragement. I wanted to reply to the reviews, but I don't want to delay updating anymore. I don't know what to think of this chapter … but here goes! Tell me how it is._**

_          _          _

            It was the dead of the night when the alert came. Heero was suddenly glad that he had decided against sleep as he dashed through the darkness of the house, knowing time was of the essence. He ran straight past Quatre and Trowa's room, realizing too late that it was illogical to go upstairs before warning the pair. It would be more efficient to notify them first, since they were the closest. But he kept on running, barreling up the stairs toward the room where Duo was sleeping.

            He had to warn Duo first.

            Because … because he didn't know why, he just _had to._

            Duo was sprawled across a good portion of the bed, a pillow clutched to his chest and the sheets tangled around his legs. Heero leapt onto the bed, shaking the boy. He didn't know why he was so anxious, but luckily his voice didn't convey too much of his shaken feelings.

            "Duo, get up now," he said, adamant. Duo's eyes snapped open immediately; somehow he seemed to sense the seriousness of the situation, because he didn't roll over or complain about being woken up.

            "Heero?" he asked, the single word holding an unspoken question.

            "We have to leave. All of us. OZ knows we're close," Heero explained tersely. At that, Duo's eyes widened.

            "Shit! How'd they find us?!" 

            "I'm not sure. It probably has something to do with the stunt you pulled with Une," Heero said. Duo opened his mouth to protest that it wasn't his fault, when Heero's hand shot out and covered his mouth. Okay, _that was new._

            "Save it," was all Heero said, and let his palm fall away. He shifted off of the bed, and Duo hastily flung the bedding away from him. Heero looked down at him, something nagging his mind. Duo seemed to notice his preoccupation, and glanced at him curiously.

            "Heero? Why're you just standing there?" he demanded.

            "Duo …" Heero began, and then he frowned. He had no idea what he wanted to say. Duo started getting his stuff together, his eyes still trained on Heero as he did.

            "Yeah? What is it, Heero?"

            "… Nothing," Heero shook his head, feeling sort of strange. He was always calm and precise with his words; he never spoke unless he knew exactly what he was going to say. "Just … tell Wufei, all right? I'll go wake Trowa and Quatre, and we'll meet to discuss plan of action in the kitchen. Two minutes."

            "Sir yes sir," Duo said wearily, dragging a worn black duffle out of the closet and hastily filling it with his few belongings. Heero felt that nagging again, but he roughly pushed it aside and pivoted on his heel to leave the room. Now was not the time for doubts, he berated himself harshly as he took to the stairs once more.

            He didn't bother knocking on Trowa and Quatre's door; he simply burst in, too focused to even care that they might be offended.

            "Get up!" he barked roughly. "Pack your things and meet in the kitchen. We have to leave now. OZ." With that terse message he whirled out of the room, taking to the stairs once more. He had to get his things together as well. He'd already wasted precious time by going to Duo first …

            He heard Duo talking to Wufei as he passed the solemn boy's room, but he paid the two no heed. Throwing his limited possessions together without even noticing what he was doing, he bolted back toward the kitchen where his laptop was set up. He arrived at the meeting place first, and he made use of the time by typing furiously at this computer. Quatre came into the room, his hair tousled and his face bleary, but he didn't complain. Instead he went silently to Heero's side, looking over the boy's shoulder.

            "What's happened?" he asked softly.

            "OZ is aware that we are close by. We need to decide where to retreat to. I'm searching for a suitable location now."

            "Ah," Quatre nodded. "Perhaps I could help?" Heero gave him an askance look, then motioned to the chair next to him. The blond took it, his visage serious and strained. Well, Heero certainly didn't blame the boy for being worried.

            Trowa filtered in next, followed shortly by Wufei. Heero glanced at the time on his screen, uneasy. It had been more than two minutes, and Duo was not down yet. Heero felt anger welling up inside of him; did Duo never take anything seriously?! 

            He finally did show his face, carefully expressionless with his bag slung over one shoulder and the disk clasped in one of his hands.

            "I said two minutes," Heero snapped irritably. Duo rolled his eyes.

            "Calm down. I didn't want to forget this," Duo retorted, waving the disk in the air to his defense. Heero snorted, and turned back to his computer. 

            "Our next move depends upon whether or not we want to split up. I have found two feasible locations that would accommodate all of us, and four others that would require us to split up."

            "I would suggest sticking together," Quatre said immediately. "I mean, with your condition … I think we all need to help with this." 

            "I would have to agree," Wufei said, and Trowa just shrugged. Trowa was never too particular about anything; he would follow whatever decision the group made. Heero sighed. Normally he would have no problem making a decision, but now … now he didn't know what to think. He had to stay with Duo, that was not a question. If the others wanted to stay with them as well … he wasn't going to protest.

            "What about this location?" he said, tapping the screen as he tilted the device so that everyone could see it. "It's approximately 250 kilometers from here, and would be discreet enough. It is near a rather large city, so it would be unlikely that we would cause any disruption that would alert people to our presence."

            "Sure, that safe house is fine, can we go?!" Duo said, obviously impatient. Heero frowned at him.

            "Are you even going to _think about it?!" Heero demanded. Duo sighed._

            "You wouldn't have suggested it if you thought it was unsafe. I trust your judgment. So can we just get out of here? I'd rather not have to fight at the moment, as much as I love kicking OZ ass." Heero looked to the others.

            "It will do. Send coordinates to our gundams," Wufei said. Quatre and Trowa agreed, and Heero quickly did as Wufei asked. His hands abruptly stopped, a thought unexpectedly springing to mind. He looked sharply at Duo.

            "Where are our gundams?" he asked, remembering suddenly that Duo had hid them after his capture. Duo offered a slight smile.

            "Relax, Heero, they're nearby. I had a chance to go retrieve them both while you were catching up on the old beauty sleep." Heero frowned at the phrase, but he didn't say anything. For once, Duo had thought ahead. He snapped his laptop shut and shoved it in his bag. 

            "Well, that's that then, huh guys?" Duo said almost cheerfully, making his way over to the exit. "Everybody ready?" Without waiting for a reply, he threw open the door and marched out into the cool night air. He didn't know why they were wasting time; if they were in danger, he just wanted everybody out as fast as they could manage. Cursing OZ mentally for their annoying timing, Duo nearly missed the slight movements from beyond the walkway. Almost.

            His gun was out the moment he sensed it, but the soldiers had reached for their guns first. He flinched as he flicked off his gun's safety, waiting for the piercing sting of a bullet to his skin as a shot shattered the peace of the night.

            Except that the bullet came from behind him. It caught the lead soldier neatly in the throat, abruptly snuffing his life. Duo dodged to the side, firing as he went and turning slightly to nod his thanks to whoever had saved his ass. He was expecting to find Heero behind him, but instead he was met with the carefully solid face of a very determined blond. Quatre swiftly fired twice in quick succession, and then his urgent ocean eyes flitted to Duo's for a moment.

            "Take Heero and get going," he instructed Duo, who snorted and sidestepped another poorly aimed shot. Most of the closest soldiers had been taken care of, but Duo could hear shouts from the other side of the house. There were more, all right. 

            "Yeah right, Q, like I'm gonna let you take them head on all my your lonesome," Duo replied lightly, though his voice was laced with adamant protest. Quatre chose to ignore it.

            "Just go, Duo! Heero's not in top form yet, so get him out of here." He squeezed his trigger again, cutting down another soldier before he moved behind the relative shelter of the porch railing. 

            "Yeah? Well, Trowa's still hurt too!" Duo countered.

            "And Trowa can make it to his gundam alone! You have to show Heero the way, so go!" Quatre snapped, losing his waning patience as a bullet splintered the wood at his side. He fired twice in retaliation, and was rewarded with a strangled cry. "Wufei and I will handle this, you three just go!" 

            "But …!" 

            "He's right, Maxwell! Get out of here," Wufei barked, suddenly beside Duo as he pushed him down the path. 

            "Tch, okay! I'm going, I'm going! Heero! The bus is leaving!" 

            "You baka!" Heero suddenly materialized at his side. "Be careful with the disk!"

            "I'm not stupid!" Duo said, hurrying his steps into the darkness as he tried desperately to ignore the random bursts of gunfire behind them. "On your left!"

            Heero's gun whirled and fired. Minus one curious ozzie, Duo thought morbidly.

            "Where'd Tro go?" he asked, increasing his pace slowly to make sure that Heero could keep up. His companion matched his step without faltering, his scowl almost comforting. 

            "The other way," came the terse reply. 

            "Armed well?"

            "Enough," Heero said dryly.

            "How about you?" 

            Heero just gave him a look, and Duo smirked sheepishly. 

            "Ah, right. Stupid question," he said apologetically, shifting his bag irritably as it continued to smack into his back with every stride. "I don't mean to push you, Heero, but can you go any faster?"

            "I'll manage. Just lead."

            "But if you can't …"

            "Just _lead."_

            Duo 'hmph'ed at his stubbornness, but picked up the pace nonetheless as they dashed silently into the forest. The half moon provided enough light for Duo to remember his way, at the same time sheltering them in a darkness that kept them from being pursued.

            They reached their gundams without any further trouble. 

            "No need to pilot each other's gundam since the others know now, right?" Duo asked, breaking the silence that they had maintained for most of their escape. Heero just shook his head, the once carefully-plaited braid frayed as it whipped around his shoulders lightly. 

            "Great. I'd rather take Scythe any day!" Duo said brightly, ignoring the chilled air as it bit at his bare legs. "You know, we should probably go different ways, just to be more discreet." Heero shot Duo a suspicious look then, but he grunted agreement to the statement. Duo was being far more serious than normal about the situation, but Heero wasn't going to complain. He thought he would be the one having to lecture the normally reckless young man. 

            "The coordinates should be waiting for you," he said tersely, turning toward his own gundam and stalking away from his partner. He had yet to shake the odd feeling that just wouldn't leave his mind alone …

            "See you later then, Heero," Duo called after him. "And, Heero? Don't worry, ne? Just … don't worry." 

            Heero paused in mid-stride, turning back to stare at the other boy in confusion. Duo just smirked and gave him a playful salute, before turning and bounding toward the dark gundam. Heero frowned after him, but decided not to ask. What exactly had Duo meant by that?

            He shrugged it off and started toward Wing again, ready to get out of the cold forest and back to a place where he felt comfortable. Maybe in Wing's cockpit he would be able to see things like they used to be.

            Duo sat in Deathscythe's pilot chair, his fingers drumming on his knee idly as he waited for Wing to get out of range. Once he was satisfied that Heero was on his way, he broke into action. Ignoring the coordinates that Heero had sent him, he headed off in the opposite direction. Duo wasn't going to the new safe house. Not yet.

            Ever since the night before, he had been restless. He knew this was what he had to do; he couldn't bear to see Heero again like he had been last night, lost and upset. So he had come up with a plan.

            Duo was going to get some answers.

*          *          *

            The ability to kill a man a thousand different ways without the slightest flinch? Forget it. Nerves of steel and resistance to every kind of torture in the book? No thanks. Skills that included setting one's own broken bones with complete indifference? Tch, yeah _right. Duo had found Heero's __real secret weapon. Who could resist a smiling, amiable Heero Yuy?_

            Certainly not the receptionist who was at that moment completely rapt in the winning smile that Duo had displayed on Heero's features. The woman was practically putty in his hands, completely oblivious and gullible. Hell, he didn't think it would be _this easy …_

            "Oh, I'm terribly sorry!" the woman suddenly apologized, turning an embarrassing hue of pink as Duo paused, awaiting her answer. "What was your question again, Mr. Palmas?" Duo wanted to roll his eyes and smack some sense into this ditzy excuse of an office assistant, but instead he tugged at the name badge clipped to the lapel of his stolen coat and offered another smile.

            "That's quite all right," he said softly, batting his lashes at the woman for good measure. Not like it was really necessary, he noted dryly. She was practically swooning like a little school girl. Not that he blamed her … clearing his throat, he continued. "I was just wondering if you could be so kind as to point me in the direction of a Dr. Mintelli? He wanted me to come by to assist him in some kind of analysis."

            "Oh? I thought you were a student trainee … excuse me for saying so, but you seem a bit young to be a researcher …" she said, rather rudely in Duo's opinion. He gritted his teeth and tried very hard to keep his voice pleasant.

            "I'm a quick study," was all he said, shrugging. "Perhaps you could contact him and tell him that _doctor Vincent Palmas is here? He is expecting me, as I said." It was true enough; this Mintelli fellow __was expecting a researcher named Vincent Palmas that day. Of course, the real Vincent Palmas was actually a middle aged man with a bald spot and exceptionally poor street smarts. It had been too easy for Duo to lift his pass and identity, leaving the man incapacitated for the rest of the day just for good measure. _

            The secretary did as he asked, blushing uncontrollably as he gave her a wink. _Yeah, that's right, Duo thought smugly. __You want to resist me, but you can't. I, Heero Yuy, am an official babe. It's a wonder Heero's never figured this tactic out before. After all, it's efficient. Right up his alley._

            "Dr. Palmas?" the woman called him back to reality. "Dr. Mintelli says to come right away. Mr. Roussen here will show you the way." She motioned to a burly-looking security guard, and Duo managed to keep his smile as he nodded his thanks. This Roussen fellow definitely did not look friendly, and Duo's attempt at a greeting was shot down by a gruff scowl. The man turned without a word, trusting Duo to follow. 

            Duo was nervous for a minute; this guard seemed like the disgruntled, suspicious type. But he trotted along compliantly behind the man, putting on his most innocent face. He wasn't quite sure how Heero's features looked in the expression, but it must have passed the test. The guard didn't give him another glance after the first careful once-over.

            "Ah, I can make it from here," Duo said when they reached a hall that appeared to be a dead end. "I assume it's the room at the end of the hall?" 

            "Yes," the guard said tersely. Eloquent fellow, Duo mused as he thanked the man warmly for all of his help. Yes, anyone even remotely suspicious that there was a gundam pilot in the building would have never given him a second glance. So far, it was working like a charm. 

            Duo bided his time going down the rest of the hall, bending to tie an imaginary shoelace until he was sure the guard had gone out of sight. Then he reached under his lab coat, reaching past his gun for a small roll of black cloth. Carefully unraveling the bundle, his eyes scanned the small metal tools and slender knives hidden there. Ah, the tools of a thief, a mischief-maker's best friends. Duo selected a few appropriate pieces before replacing the rest safely under his coat, and crept toward the panel next to the door. Time to cover his tracks.

            He removed the panel cover easily, and carefully examined the wires beneath. Somewhere in that massive electric knot was camera feed. That would have to be eliminated. 

            Having looked over the electric blueprints previously in Deathscythe, Duo didn't have much trouble finding the wire he needed. A careful poke and prod, and the transmission of the events inside the room was no more. Replacing the paneling with a smug smile, Duo put his tools away and ran his ID card through the card reader in front of him. The lock clicked open, and Duo reached to open the door with one hand as his other sought out his gun. 

            "Ah, Vincent," the single man inside of the room greeted, his back turned as he bent over something on a table. "It was good of you to come so quick ..ly …" His words trailed off as he turned his face, eyes locking on a figure that was most definitely _not Vincent Palmas. "Who the hell are you?!"_

            "Don't say anything," Duo growled, pointing the gun at the man as an incentive while he made sure the door clicked shut behind him. Then, with a swift movement of his arm, Duo slammed his gun into the electronic lock box next to the door. Sparks flew, effectively immobilizing the door from the outside, and Duo smirked.

            "There we are, just us two," he said calmly, moving his gun casually back to the startled researcher.

            "Who are you?" the man repeated, less forceful now that it was obvious who was in charge. He glanced nervously at the small camera mounted in the corner of the small room.

            "Ah ah ah," Duo clucked his tongue. "No help there, I'm afraid. It will be a good ten or twenty minutes before anybody has a chance to notice that this room's monitoring equipment is having a slight malfunction. No need to be so tense, Doctor. Just got a few questions for you."

            "You're insane if you think I'm going to help you," the man snarled, his hands gripping the table behind him as he stared defiantly at Duo. Duo laughed.

            "Aw, come on. You guys owe it to me, after you fucked me up so bad. I'm not gonna shoot you, ya know. Not if you tell me what I need to know." Without waiting for a reply, Duo rummaged in the wide pocket of his coat before pulling out the disk. He tossed it casually on the table between them, watching the man's reaction intently. "Look familiar?"

            "I … don't know what you mean," the man gritted out, his eyes locked on the device. _Bullshit, Duo's mind supplied, and he strolled up to the table's edge nonchalantly._

            "Oh, is that so?" he said, his voice soft but laced with malice. "Why don't you come touch it then, hmm?" 

            "I … I don't understand," the man said, his voice shaking. Duo snorted.

            "I know what it does," he informed the nervous researcher. "What I want to know is what exactly it is, how many of them exist, and how the hell to manipulate it."

            "I don't …" Duo calmly flipped the safety off of his gun, smirking. The man fell silent. 

            "Go on. Tell me."

            "It's … I know very little," the man said. Duo knew he was being honest from his expression, but he pressed the man anyway.

            "Just talk."

            "It is a project of a colleague of mine, or was," the man said, his eyes growing hard for a moment. "He was killed."

            "The Gordon Research Facility explosion, I know," Duo waved his free hand dismissively. "What do you know about the _disk?!"_

            "It isn't called a disk. He called it …" the man paused, pinching the bridge of his nose in stressed thought. "A protean modifier, I believe. It was still in the testing phase. As far as I know, he only made one prototype. He was still trying to get the calculations just right …" Duo didn't know whether to sigh relief or feel nauseous. So there weren't any other disks, that was good. But the disk in existence was still in the testing phase; it was unstable. Just _great._

            "Blah blah blah," Duo rolled his eyes. "Just show me how it works, huh?"

            "I don't know," the man said, exasperated. "I certainly didn't invent that monstrosity, and the man that did is dead. I can't tell you anything more."

            "I know that the Gordon facility worked in conjunction with this one," Duo growled. "That means you have files on this protean whatever-you-called-it?" 

            "I'm sure it's in our databases, yes …" Duo headed pointedly toward the room's main computer. He eyed the researcher coldly, and motioned to a chair with his gun.

            "Sit there, don't move," he ordered, utilizing Heero's more frightening qualities. The researcher, intimidated, did as he was asked. Duo's free hand flew over the keyboard, accustomed enough to one-handed typing to get by as his other hand pointed the gun idly at the researcher. Since the computer didn't require hacking, Duo found what he wanted with ease. He pulled a CD from beneath his coat and inserted it, copying everything he thought might be useful. The researcher watched him nervously.

            "How did you get your hands on that protean modifier, anyway? Only certain people in our ranks know of it to start with, let alone _others …"_

            "Accident," Duo replied, truthful but terse.

            "And why do you care so much? I would destroy that device, if I were you."

            "Believe me, it would be my pleasure," Duo sighed, retracting his CD and slipping it into its case once more. "I'm gonna smash it to bits the moment I don't need it anymore." The man frowned at him, and suddenly his eyes widened in understanding.

            "You used it, didn't you? And it worked?"

            "Yeah, so what?!" Duo snapped, highly irritated. "Tell me, is this the only other research facility that has information about this device?" 

            "I think so."

            Duo didn't believe him, but he kept his mouth shut as he hit a few choice keys on the computer. He watched as all files containing information about the disk were eradicated from the database. The command he entered would make sure back-up files were destroyed as well. He would have to make sure OZ didn't have files elsewhere in his free time. 

            Standing again, he went to go scoop the disk up. The researcher watched him curiously.

            "Were you affected? Were you one of the ones modified?" he asked. Duo glared at him dangerously, and the man smirked. "I see. It really does work then."

            "Not for long, you sick bastards," Duo hissed. "You're all fucking sick, you know? I'm going to make sure you all pay for this. Tell me about using it to change people back." 

            "I'm afraid I can't do that," the man said, his expression arrogant beneath his fear. "I'm not sure that it was designed to work both ways."

            "Fuck you!" Duo growled. "It's _going to work both ways. It has to!"_

            "I suggest you just get used to the body you have, young man." 

            "I suggest you shut your damn mouth!" Duo lunged at the man, using the base of his gun to knock the man to the floor in an unconscious heap. Sniffing indignantly as he looked down at the crumpled figure, he put his gun away and shoved the disk in his pocket before pulling out a small detonation device. No need to let this facility keep functioning, now that he had what he needed. Patting the information CD to reassure himself, he swiftly set up the detonator and headed out of the room. Blowing up the place was a bonus, but it didn't make him feel much better. The researcher's words echoed in his head as he discreetly left the building, haunting him the whole way.

            _'I'm not sure that it was designed to work both ways. I suggest you just get used to the body you have, young man …' He didn't want to get used to this body! He wanted to be himself again. He wanted Heero to be himself again. So they could … _

            So they could what? Duo didn't know.

*          *          *

            It had been a near twenty four hours since he had slept last, and Duo couldn't take it anymore. He was stressed, and that didn't help matters. Knowing full well that the others were probably worried, seeing as he never arrived at their rendezvous, he found a tactful location to hide Deathscythe so he could take a quick nap. They would have to wait for him a little longer.

            As soon as he was settled in, sleep came almost instantly. Duo was glad, wanting to forget, just for a little while, the terrible situation he was in. But the dreams awaiting him were no more pleasant than reality.

_            He stood nervously, clutching his Hiruko**[1]-chan by the tail in one tight fist. The poor, tattered stuffed animal was missing an ear and was worn to the stuffing in places, but he loved his lifeless friend. He looked like a bear except for his long tail, which he often used to drag the toy around. 'Kaasan had made Hiruko for him a long time ago, and he always kept him near. 'Kaasan said that Hiruko would protect him when he needed to feel safe, and he certainly needed it now. He frowned at the thought. 'Kaasan said that she had to go away for a while. Why did she have to go?!**_

_            " … 'Kaasan, onegai …" he whimpered, pleading. Mommy, please …___

_            She looked away from him then, her feathery, dark locks falling in front of her face. A wave of panic surged through him; why wouldn't she listen to him?!_

_            "Mommy … don't leave me here," he said desperately, his small hand fisted tightly into the delicate material of her skirt. A slightly trembling hand reached down to caress his hair. Slowly, ever so slowly, her face turned back to him._

_            "Baby, please don't make this hard," she said softly, her face so tired. Why was his mommy so tired? Was she tired of him? His fist tightened, white knuckles looking as if they were about to burst._

_            "But Mommy, I don't want to be here alone!" he protested, pouting up at her. "I'm not old enough to be all alone." At that she chuckled, but it wasn't a good laugh. It wasn't the way his glorious mother used to laugh. It made him scared. She gently pried his hand from her skirt, and knelt down so that they were eye to eye. Her hand reached up to hold his cheek._

_            "But Baby, you are," she whispered almost wistfully. "You've gotten so big, my handsome boy. Go on, show Mommy how big you are. Show me how many you are." He stuck his hand out in front of him, holding up four chubby fingers silently. She smiled then, such a sad smile. _

_            "Such a big, brave boy you are," she said softly, petting his cheek again. "You see? Everything will be fine, Baby. Everything will be fine …" His mommy started to cry then, tears running down her perfect porcelain cheeks. Another wave of fear hit him; his mommy wasn't supposed to cry. He reached out with his free hand to cling to her, his other hand still firmly fisted around his toy. She pulled him into her arms then, shaking with silent sobs._

_            "Take me too," he begged softly. He'd go with his mommy anywhere. He didn't care if it was scary or boring or even painful; if his mommy was going, so was he. But she pulled away from him, shaking her head._

_            "No … no, you stay right here. The place I am going is not for little boys," she instructed, her voice growing stern once more. "Do you understand me? Do you?"_

_            He just nodded, watching his mommy with wide, fearful eyes._

_            "Tell me, then."_

_            "I'll stay here, Mommy. I'll stay right here for you! When are you coming back? Before it's time for bed?" _

_            " … I don't know, Baby. You must simply put yourself to bed if I don't return in time. Promise me that you won't leave this place."_

_            " … I promise, Mommy."_

_            "There's my boy," she said, offering him only a slight smile. "I love you more than anything."_

_            "I love you too, Mommy," he replied automatically._

_            "A kiss before I go," she said simply, and he leaned in obediently to kiss his mommy's cheek. She kissed his forehead, and suddenly stood. _

_            "Remember. Right here," she enforced once more. He nodded up at her. _

_            "Yes, Mommy." _

_            And quite suddenly, she had left him all alone. He stared at the doorway for a long time, tears threatening his eyes. Everything was so big and scary when he was all alone. He lifted his stuffed animal to his face, shaking the creature suddenly as he scowled his distress._

_            "You've been very bad, Hiruko!" he berated the animal, shaking it again in his small fists. "So now I have to leave you all alone! And I won't come back until 'Kaasan comes back for me! Do you understand?! So you'd better make 'Kaasan come back!" With that he flung the toy to the floor, and stomped away with his arms wrapped tightly around himself. Tears stung his eyes, and he was trembling all over on the inside. Was it too soon to see if 'Kaasan was back yet? He glanced at the doorway balefully, and sighed. _

_            He looked over his shoulder at the fallen toy. The glass beads that made up Hiruko's eyes shined oddly, as if the animal was sad. He bit his lip, debating, and suddenly sprinted back to scoop the stuffed creature into his arms. Squeezing Hiruko tightly to his chest, he rocked his small body back and forth as the tears finally broke free._

_            "I came back for you, Hiruko. Gomen … gomen … I came back …" _

_            But 'Kaasan never came back for him.  _

            Duo awoke from the dream with a muted cry of panic, his hands reaching out to claw at something unknown. Coming to his senses immediately, he relaxed into his pilot's chair with a shuddering breath. 

            He felt such anguish for the poor little boy in his dreams. It had been him, but at the same time he knew it hadn't. He had never known what it was like to have a parent, a real parent … for the first time, he was slightly grateful that he had always been without. At least he had never been forced to deal with the bitter pain of abandonment. 

            It was a long time before his hands stopped trembling, and even longer before he could bring himself to close his eyes again. They were burning with unshed tears, tears that he tried to force to life. But it was no use.

            Heero had been right about one thing, after all. The Perfect Soldier really didn't know how to cry.

_Continued _

  


* * *

[1] Hiruko – This is the name of the Japanese god of the morning sun, but I used the name because he was also considered the protector of young children. I needed a name, and thought it might be appropriate …


	12. It's Purple

**Title: Trading Faces**

**Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.**

**Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing, Wufei in a 'mothering' position … 0.o … _that's certainly interesting … _**

**Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. Guess I'll have to settle for owning this story (not a fair consolation if you ask me…) **

**A/N****: Thanks go to: ****Angel of Insanity (I'm not mean, really! It's plot … yes … but don't cry! It'll be better soon enough!) ****Bryony (Plan? What plan? Hahaha, no, I'm not cruel. I have … something thought up, anyway) ****Elle-FaTe2x1 (Yes, sort-of answers. I like that!) ****LB (Duo's a shameless flirt, what can I say? Heero should take note!) ****Foxfire (I really do enjoy torturing the boys … tsk tsk to me) ****shinigami angel (Aww, don't cry! It'll be okay!) ****Yume (heh, page turner … thanks so much! Glad you like! The rest is coming!) ****Demon Vampyre Goddess (Ah! You gave my 100th review! Sugoi! *does a happy dance* I feel so loved! You should get a prize! Too bad I'm broke … hehe) ****Dreamer (I'm glad you enjoy it! I'll try to make something Heero-centric for you, but I'm afraid I can't _promise it … this dang story has a mind of its own … but I'll try! Maybe I'll write a sidefic if it doesn't work in the actual fic *shrugs*) _****Naomi (*hands over a tissue* It was kind of heart-wrenching, ne? I can't believe I wrote it … but I'll make it better, promise!) ****Chibi Amy Chan (So glad that you like! Fave list? Ack, I'm flattered! *grins*) ****Violet Yuy-Maxwell (Yeah, Duo kind of figures out that the dream was Heero's … I think I'll touch on that a bit more in this chapter. I'm so glad you like!) ****Natasha (It's not a stupid question … others have been wondering too, methinks. I hope this chapter makes it more clear!) ****lillie chan (Happy birthday to you, and thanks for reviewing!) ****Clairol (No, that wasn't that short … heh. Thanks so much for the feedback, though! It makes me happy!)**

_          _          _

            Wufei groaned in frustration, his arms laden with medical supplies, a few ice packs, and all the blankets he had managed to find in the house's disorganized linen closet. He paused to throw a quilt at Heero, growling something about going to sleep before continuing down the hall. 

            "Wufei, I'm not …"

            "Yuy! Do as I say, right now! I can handle it, you just take care of yourself!" Wufei burst, all patience gone. He continued to stomp down the hall, toward the living room where Trowa and Quatre were sprawled across various pieces of furniture. Wufei dropped the ice packs on Trowa's stomach, causing the usually silent boy to yelp in protest to the sudden change in temperature.

            "Don't move!" Wufei ordered, watching Trowa attempt to sit. "You'll just damage your ribs further! That ice was hard to come by, I suggest you use it!" Trowa glared at the Chinese boy but wisely kept silent. Wufei was not in a happy mood. He pitied the blond that sat on a nearby chair, cradling his head in his hands as he moaned. Wufei was not exactly the gentlest person when it came to first aid. 

            "We don't have anything for the pain, Winner. I'm sorry," Wufei said bluntly, kneeling next to the chair and dumping his armful onto the floor. Quatre swore viciously; at least, Wufei thought he was swearing. As long as the boy spoke in Arabic, Wufei really had no idea what the blond was saying. It didn't sound _nice, though._

            "The best I could do was some hard liquor. Do you want it?" Wufei asked, forcing the boy to let go of his head as he pushed Quatre's chin up. Quatre winced as Wufei thrust the beam a small flashlight into his face.

            "Ah! Stop it!" he whimpered. "I'm concussed, I know, I know! Turn it off!" Wufei clucked his tongue disapprovingly but complied, tossing the flashlight aside.

            "We're going to have to deal with that bullet in your shoulder, too," he pointed out. "Do you want the alcohol or not?"

            "N-no," Quatre started to shake his head, then realized what a bad idea the movement was. "I'll go without …"

            "As you wish," Wufei shrugged, spreading a blanket on the floor and easing the wounded blond onto the floor. "You may as well lie down. This is going to hurt a lot."

            Quatre rattled off another string of Arabic curses, his voice dripping sarcasm, but allowed Wufei to settle him onto the blanket. His shoulder was already on fire thanks to a stray bullet; he didn't think it could get much worse. 

            "Are you ready?" Wufei asked, cutting away Quatre's bloodied shirt as he spoke. Quatre gritted his teeth, started to nod, but when his head protested with a sharp stab of pain he froze.

            "As much as I can be," he muttered.

            "Quatre," Trowa spoke up from the couch, his face heavy with worry as he watched them. "I know you don't like to drink, I really think you should take the alcohol."

            "I'll … be okay," Quatre said. "I don't need it." Trowa sighed, but held his tongue. He knew how stubborn the blond could be if he wanted to.

            "Grit your teeth," Wufei warned him, and suddenly Quatre's shoulder erupted in blinding pain. He gave a strangled cry and struggled against Wufei despite himself, causing Wufei to withdraw. 

            "Winner …" he growled impatiently.

            "Fine, I'll take it!" Quatre resigned himself. "Give me the drink!"

            "You know, you wouldn't be in this situation at all if you hadn't been so reckless," Wufei admonished him gently as he helped Quatre sit so that he could swallow the proffered drink. Quatre glared at him, sipping at the amber liquid and flinching at the burning quality.

            "I had to make sure that the others had a chance to get away," Quatre explained himself, choking down as much alcohol as he could. 

            "Just take it all at once, Winner," Wufei instructed him, noticing that a good portion of the liquid was not making it into Quatre's mouth. A moment passed as Quatre reluctantly stomached the drink. "Sometimes your sense of duty astounds me. You pushed yourself too far." Quatre sputtered then.

            "I don't believe you just said that, Wufei," he said incredulously, already feeling slightly hazy. Whatever the Chinese pilot had given him, it was strong. 

            "You can act honorably without being _masochistic," Wufei retorted, rolling his eyes as he settled Quatre back onto the blanket. _

            "I'm _not masochistic," Quatre countered. "You're just … lucky …" _

            "You do realize that I can't let you fall asleep either. The concussion," Wufei reminded. Quatre groaned, falling once more into Arabic. 

            "Should I come help?" Trowa asked, obviously worried. Wufei looked sharply at him.

            "What did I say? Don't move, Barton! Winner will be fine without you puncturing a lung, you know!" 

            Trowa promptly shut his mouth, and turned his head away as Wufei started the search for the bullet in Quatre's shoulder. He was quite glad he couldn't understand Arabic at that moment. Whatever Quatre was screaming, it couldn't have been pleasant.  

*          *          *

            Duo wandered up to the safe house as the first tinges of dawn had begun to light the sky, dragging his bag along with him wearily. He approached the door cautiously, hoping that in his exhausted state he had not misread the coordinates. One glance at the type of lock securing the side door quelled his apprehensions; it was a safe house, all right. He knelt to pick the lock jadedly, wanting nothing more than to collapse in a heap on the floor. Creepy dreams were not helpful in getting the proper amount of sleep, that was for damn sure.

            He got inside the quiet house and entered silently, securing the door behind him and walking carefully across the dim room. The others were probably all sleeping; he didn't want to disturb them, but he _did want to eat. Luckily, he had a good sense of direction. The kitchen was easy enough to find._

            Dropping his bag absentmindedly, he went immediately for the cupboards. He knew his chances were slim, but he wasn't picky. He just needed something to fill his protesting stomach.

            "Maxwell!" a quiet but irritated voice snapped behind him, causing him to whirl in surprised panic. "Just where the _hell have you __been?!" Duo opened his mouth to defend himself, but the words faded away as he took in the sight of a very disheveled, very pissed off Wufei. His arms were crossed over his chest and stray wisps of hair were trailing down his angered face, having escaped his usually immaculate ponytail. Suspicious dark crescents hung beneath his dangerous eyes._

            "Wufei … you look beat!" Duo said instead, earning him an aggravated growl from the Chinese boy.

            "How do you expect me to look, after playing nursemaid to those three nonstop all day and night?!" Wufei snapped. Duo's eyes widened in surprised amusement, and he had to hold back a chuckle. He would have given anything to see Wufei acting like a mother hen! Wufei sensed his amusement, and growled.

            "It is not funny, Maxwell! Yuy and Barton are still not fit, especially since Barton re-aggravated his injuries! Winner was shot and quite concussed for a while, and I have not been able to sleep because I had to make sure none of them _died on me while you were out __cavorting around somewhere! Explain yourself!"_

            "Tch. Calm down, Wu," Duo said, attempting to placate the fuming pilot. "You're gonna keel over from stress, then they'll be four immobilized gundam pilots with only me to take care of you all! And trust me, you don't want that. I suck at just about everything involved in the whole convalescent process, and … Fei, seriously, stop scowling at me. Sorry, okay? I'm back now, so you can go to sleep! I'll take over once I eat."

            "Good luck," Wufei snorted. "The only rations we have are whatever was here already, and I'm not sure any of it is still good. Where have you been?! And why are you wearing those clothes?!" Duo looked down at himself, sighing. In the haste of their escape Duo had brought his own stuff along, which meant if he wanted clean clothes he had to wear his own things. The black clothing didn't look too bad on Heero's body, actually …

            "Something wrong with it?" he asked Wufei.

            "It looks _weird," the Chinese pilot retorted._

            "Well guess what, this whole situation is weird, so get used to it!" Duo grumbled, turning back to the cupboard. "Geez, I try to go do something helpful and all you can do is stand there and … ah!" He cut off with a delighted cry, his hands closing around something in the cupboard.

            "Maxwell?"

            "Awesome! Chocolate cookies! I gotta thank whoever stocked this place!" Duo said cheerfully, waving the box of sweets at his companion. Wufei frowned. 

            "I thought Yuy forbade you to eat such things," he pointed out. Duo rolled his eyes, searching for an expiration date on the box. _Oh, please, let them still be good … _

            "I don't see Heero anywhere, do you?" Duo replied lightly, his face lighting up as he realized the cookies were still fit to eat. That was all he needed to know, and he tore into the packaging ravenously. He stuffed a handful into his mouth, not caring how ridiculous he might look, and suddenly froze. 

            "What?" Wufei asked, and his eyes widened as he watched Duo spit the cookies back into his hand with a shocked look on his face.

            "Oh _no!" he groaned piteously. Wufei snickered._

            "Maybe you should have checked the expiration date," he said dryly.

            "I did," Duo frowned. "They're still good …"

            "Then what's the problem?" 

            "… Heero doesn't like chocolate."

            "What?" Wufei snorted. Duo turned sad eyes toward Wufei, deadly serious.

            "Heero doesn't _like them. They taste __bad," he explained, then sighed. "Fei, I can't even eat cookies! This isn't fair! They're supposed to be good, damnit!" He flung the box across the room, folding his arms to brood. Wufei sighed._

            "There are worse things in life, Maxwell," he said tersely. "Now, are you going to tell me where you've been or not?!"

            "Tch, geez, okay," Duo sighed, and started to explain where he had been. Wufei listened patiently, and when Duo finally finished the story he nodded slowly.

            "You could have let us know your plans," was all he said, his words cold but no longer as angry as they had once been. "We were worried that something had happened to you. Winner had to threaten Yuy to keep him from going to search for you."

            "What? Quatre … _threatened Heero?" Duo burst. _

            "Well, he was still slightly tipsy, not to mention disoriented from the pain. I had only just finished patching up his shoulder. He has … quite a violent Arabic vocabulary, from what I can tell …"

            "Oh, Fei, what else did I miss? How come I always miss the good stuff?!" Duo whined. Wufei rolled his eyes.

            "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you disappear without word because you are inconsiderate and irresponsible," he retorted. "Honestly, Maxwell, we wouldn't have tried to stop you."

            "I know, man. That was kind of the point."

            "_Excuse me?" _

            "Think about it. Heero would have insisted on coming _with me the moment he found out! I mean, it's nice that he cares and all, though he probably just wants to make sure his body is safe, but he would have botched everything up. It was something I had to do by myself, but I knew if I told him where I was going he would have followed me," Duo explained._

            "Well, you could have called us afterward," Wufei said in concession, his face still weary. "Now, I'm going to bed. _You can make sure everyone's comfortable for now."_

            "Hey, you don't have to be so bitter about it!" Duo called after the boy as Wufei left the room. "Geez, Wu-man, you're not a very good nurse, ya know?!"

            "_Maxwell!"_

*          *          *

            Heero had not been thrilled about his disappearance act either, but after explaining himself the angry young man had calmed considerably toward Duo. Since Heero refused to rest anymore Duo had decided to share his newly found information with the boy, who sat with him in the den. The other three were all still sleeping peacefully.

            "I just don't get it, Heero," Duo sighed, scrolling down the laptop's screen with a bored expression on his face. "Most of this information's all useless anyway."

            "There has to be someone that knows about it," Heero insisted from the couch, glaring around Duo at the screen. Duo snorted.

            "Not according to old doctor whatever-his-name-was," he sighed. "Apparently the guy that invented this protean thingy was a nutcase, and he's dead now. Probably the guy that threw the damn thing at me in the first place. Hell, I wish I could shoot that sicko again …"

            "I don't," Heero muttered irritably. Duo glanced at him curiously.

            "Huh?"

            "Duo, that researcher might have been our only hope! If he was still alive we could make him fix this …"

            "Well, news flash, Heero. The guy's dead and there's nothing we can do about it. So we're just going to have to do this ourselves, huh?" Heero scowled, turned his back to Duo as he settled into the couch more comfortably, and fiddled with the disk in his hands. Silence overcame the two for a moment, and Duo bit his lip nervously. He really wanted to ask Heero about the dream that he had had, because he had a sneaking suspicion that the little boy in the dream had really been Heero. The whole dream had been in Japanese, for gods sakes! He didn't know why Heero's memories were able to surface in his sleep, but he was curious if it was happening to Heero too. And … he wanted to know if it was really true. If Heero really _had been hurt like that at such a young age._

            "Hey Heero?"

            "Hn?"

            "Can I ask you something?"

            "… hn." Duo glanced at the other boy, wondering if he was paying attention at all. Oh well, guess he'd find out soon enough …

            "Do you … do you remember anything about … your parents?" 

            He didn't miss the instant tension that wracked Heero's form, and the hands holding the disk suddenly became firm fists. He'd struck a chord, that was for sure. But did he want to push it …?

            "Iie," Heero bit out at last. "I had no parents."

            "Everybody's got parents, Heero. They're kind of necessary to the whole being created part of life," Duo replied, clicking on the computer even though his eyes were focused on the back of Heero's head. He didn't want Heero to know that he was so intently focused on him, after all …

            "What of _your parents, then?" Heero retorted. Duo felt a familiar flash of hurt, but quickly pushed it away. Heero was only being logical … that wasn't meant to hurt …_

            "Ah, I never knew 'em," he said casually, masking the pain he felt. "No big loss, huh? You can't miss what you can't remember … But what about you? Do you remember them?"

            "… Leave me alone, Duo." Well, that wasn't a 'no'. Maybe he was getting somewhere.

            "It was just a question, Heero. Don't you have an answer?"

            "Not for _you," Heero said coldly._

            "I'm only curious, Heero …"

            "Well, _stop it!"_

            "Tch, fine. I only wanted to know …"

            "It's none of your business anyway!"

            "Well, maybe it is!" Duo burst, suddenly whirling away from the computer. "Heero, look at me!" Slowly, Heero turned hard eyes to meet Duo's gaze. 

            "What?" he demanded harshly.

            "Who do you see, Heero? Who? Yourself? Well then, it _is my damn business, you know!" Heero growled, turning away once more._

            "Nonsense. You're you, and I'm me. We each still have our own pasts."

            "Listen, Heero …!"

            "No! I don't want to talk about this!" His words were angry and somewhat … desperate. Duo sighed and stood, moving to sit on the couch next to Heero. He had pushed too far. Heero started to get up, but Duo grabbed onto him and held fast.

            "Heero, I just … wanted to know something about you. That's fair, ne?" he spoke softly. "I mean, look what we're going through. I think this qualifies as some kind of bonding experience, as screwed up as it is. I want to know you better, that's all. You don't have to talk about anything you don't want to."

            "Then leave me alone," Heero demanded, looking away from Duo's stare. He tried to yank his arm from Duo's fingers, but the other boy didn't give way. 

            "Don't tell me about your parents, then. I don't care. But tell me _something," Duo continued, trying to catch Heero's eyes. "It doesn't matter what. Forget the past. Your favorite color, something you enjoy doing … __anything, Heero. I just have to know … I have to know something."_

            "Why?" Heero whispered bitterly, turning his face toward Duo as the boy tightened his grasp. Duo looked so intent …

            "I just want to know … who I'm becoming," Duo murmured, his voice barely audible. "Who I might end up being. What if we're stuck like this, Heero? What if …?"

            "Duo," Heero interrupted, his voice grating awkwardly. "Don't …"

            "We have to face it sometime, Heero," Duo pressed, shaking his head at Heero's protest. He remembered what that researcher had said. _'I'm not sure that it was designed to work both ways ...' He shuddered. "God, Heero, I don't want to think about this either. But I don't want to kid myself. What if this … is how we're going to be, from now on? What if I have to be Heero Yuy for the rest of my life? What if you have to be Duo Maxwell?"_

            "Duo … we're still ourselves …" Heero said weakly.

            "Sort of," Duo said, his expression growing sad. He leaned closer to Heero, his hand still holding onto Heero's arm. "I'm still me. But that doesn't cover up the fact that I'm you, too. Can you honestly say you haven't felt strangely since the switch, or that you haven't noticed sometimes that your actions just aren't _you?" Heero winced. He remembered his apprehension, he remembered the tears … most of all, he remembered the dream._

            "You see?" Duo said gently. "I hate this, Heero. I hate what it's doing to me … to you. I hate that I can't …" He faltered then, his eyes drifting down to look at his hand on Heero's arm. 

            "You can't what?" Heero asked, his throat suddenly dry. His whole body felt suddenly very cumbersome and weary. "Duo?"

            "Heero," Duo replied, his voice fragile. "I think I'm going crazy, Heero. Please, just tell me something … I just want to know you …" 

            "Duo. Why won't you look at me?"

            "Don't want to look. Don't want to see me. I don't want you to be me. I want you to be Heero."

            "Duo …" Heero said helplessly. His free hand rose on its own, feeling oddly detached as he reached out to gently nudge Duo's face up. "I _am Heero …" Duo gave a little muffled whimper, allowing Heero to move his chin. He was met with the sight of familiar indigo eyes, but there was something else there. Something solid and strong, something barely unable to hide the delicate concern concealed there. Something undeniably __Heero._

            "God, Heero …" Duo sobbed, and suddenly he was moving forward. He didn't know what compelled him to do it, to let go of Heero's arm in favor of a place on his neck, to let his lips fall against the unprepared ones of the Perfect Soldier. For a split second his mind spun, and then he realized what was going on.

            He jumped back as though he had been burned. He couldn't do this … it was Heero, but it wasn't. It felt like Heero, but it didn't. The face that looked back at him, obviously dazed, was still his own. It wasn't Heero. 

            "I'm sorry …" he whispered, on his feet instantly as he whirled toward the door. Even after he escaped into the relative safety of the hall, Duo wasn't sure what he felt sorry for; the fact that he had unintentionally kissed Heero, or the fact that he hadn't been able to follow through. 

*          *          *

            It was quite a while before Heero realized that he was alone in the room, staring at the couch cushions where Duo had once been. His lips felt strangely warm, and he lifted a tentative hand to feel them. He wasn't sure what had just happened. He had no idea …

            That had certainly been unexpected.

            A sharp pang of _something darted through his chest, and he frowned. He didn't like the fact that Duo was so upset. He didn't like it one bit. He would have done anything at that moment to make Duo happy again, but there was nothing he could do. There was only one thing that could fix everything … _

            He glared furiously at the disk, which lay on the sofa next to his thigh. Snatching it up sharply, Heero scowled at it. He would do anything to make Duo feel better, but this stupid thing wouldn't. It didn't care who got hurt.

            "This is all your fault," Heero hissed at the inanimate object, and then tossed it away from him to the far end of the couch. He had not expected Duo to fall apart. No, he didn't think that anything, even something this horrible, could faze the normally carefree boy. Duo would always laugh it off, pretend it was nothing. It was a completely illogical reaction in times of danger.

            And Heero loved it. He needed it. Duo was everything that he could not be, and somehow that had come to comfort him. Duo was not supposed to fall apart. And now that he had …

            The reality of the kiss finally dawned on him, and he leaned his head on the back of the couch as he pulled his knees up to his chest. Sure, Duo had been upset, but why had he done that? Maybe they _had been forced to grow closer due to the switch, but that didn't warrant such an intimate gesture. That didn't force Duo to care. Funny, though, he hadn't minded it all that much …_

            Hadn't minded it at all, actually. Oh, it had been nothing short of gauche and awkward, seeing his own face but thinking Duo. Reason told him that it was wrong, but reason had flown out the window the moment his consciousness had been placed in Duo's body. There was nothing reasonable about the entire situation.

            It was uncharted territory. His training hadn't covered anything like this. The thought of training made him snort in disheartened amusement. All the training in the world would never be able to fix this situation. Heero was definitely lost on what to do next. He hadn't meant to upset Duo … he hadn't meant for any of this to happen …

            Pushing himself from the couch suddenly, he decided that the only logical thing to do was go over the information that Duo had obtained in attempt to find a solution. Yes, that was what a soldier would do. A soldier wouldn't let emotions interfere.

            His eyes were drawn unwillingly toward the doorway where Duo had disappeared. Again, he felt unsure. But then he knew. There was one other thing he had to do first.

            Duo sat slumped on the bed, his fingers tightly gripping the bed sheets as he scowled at the floor. He was such an idiot! What had he been thinking?! Heero was going to hate him. Heero was going to _murder him … and that's if he was lucky ..._

            A sound at the doorway made him look up in surprise. There, at the threshold, stood a very expressionless Heero. Duo shifted nervously, but he knew what was coming. Best to apologize now …

            "Listen, Heero, I …"

            "Purple," Heero interrupted. Duo paused, his mouth partially open in confusion. _What had Heero just said?_

            "Wh-what?"

            "My favorite color," Heero explained as he turned, already moving back into the hallway. "It's purple."

Continued


	13. Heart to Heart

**Title: Trading Faces**

**Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.**

**Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing … well, not really eventual anymore I guess *grins***

**Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. Guess I'll have to settle for owning this story (not a fair consolation if you ask me…) **

**A/N****: Thanks go to: ****Clairol (Why is Heero's favorite color purple? Hmm, I'll never te-ell!) ****Naomi (Sadly, I am sadistic enough to make Heero dislike chocolate … hey, it happens. I know some people who hate chocolate, the crazy idiots … I mean, nothing!) ****Tash-chan (Yes, please do keep Wu-kins in line for me! *grins* We'll be crazy together, ne?) ****Demon Vampyre Goddess (You can stop going insane, here's your chapter! *smiles*) ****Elle-FaTe2x1 (I'm keeping Heero in character as best I can, but you know, he is going through some rather traumatic changes … hehe. Thanks!) ****Shellie (Standardized tests? Oh! Make pictures in the bubbles – like Christmas trees! Glad to see you still like!) ****Violet Yuy-Maxwell (Aw, you're so nice! Here's the next part) ****SilverShinigami (Hey, you can't kill me or I'll never finish the story, ne? And we wouldn't want that, right?! ^^) ****Angel of Insanity (Hehehe, poor Duo. How we all love to torture him. Thanks!) ****LB (Poor everybody, actually. Heh, I don't think anybody's escaping unharmed from this story. Oh well!) ****Yui-Mag (Thanks a lot! Here's the next chapter. Roommates are funny like that, ne?) ****White Rose (Ack, not the hair! Leave it alone! Here, chapter, go!) ****lillie chan (Chocolate pocky?! *eyes get big* Yay! Mine mine mine! Duo: Can I have some?! L: NO!! MINE!! … Thanks!) ****baka ryou (Thanks a whole big bunch! Here's more) ****Foxfire (Yes, Heero's just a big sweetie … in his own little indifferent way. Thanks!) ****FireDemon (I'm so glad to hear it! It's been a challenge for me … hope you continue to enjoy!) ****Fushigi Venus (Hey, stand up, no need for dramatics … here ya go! Hope you like it) ****Dreamer (Is there a reason behind the purple? Hmm, read into it how you will, I'll never te-ell! *grins* Thanks so much – I do try to update as soon as I'm able, because I know how it is!) **

            Well, were getting close to the end … thanks a lot for sticking with this, guys, and I hope you enjoy these last few chapters! On with chapter 13 …

_          _          _

            Duo watched as Quatre's face fell forward, his chin landing on the mouth of his glass. He fought the urge to snicker; the blond seemed quite content to stay there, his head propped up by a partially full glass of ice water. Trowa reached across the table, wincing at the strain put on his ribs as he carefully tilted Quatre's face up, slid the glass aside, and let the blond's face settle gently onto the polished surface of the table. Quatre groaned, muttered something inaudible, and seemed to fall asleep right then and there. Trowa sighed, shaking his head slightly at the tousled figure. 

            "We're all a bunch of invalids, you know?" Duo remarked lightly, lifting a mug of coffee to his lips to take a frugal sip. "Just think, the mighty gundam pilots, reduced to a bunch of defective, worn out piles of ooze. Man, I think we need a vacation."

            "Duo," Quatre moaned into the surface beneath his face. "Not so loud, please! My head …"

            "Ah, still a bit hung over, Q-man? I couldn't tell," Duo said dryly, then turned in his chair to look at the Chinese boy attempting to make toast. "Hey Wu, what'd you give Quatre anyway? When's the last time you made him drink? He looks terrible!"  

            "Let him sleep, Maxwell," Wufei said wearily. "He needs it, now that he _can."_

            "Well, if he's gonna sleep shouldn't we take him to his room or something? We're not gonna let him sleep on the _table, are we?"_

            "Why not? He doesn't seem to _mind." Wufei shrugged, scowling at the toaster as his bread popped up. One side was charred to a near black, and the other was still raw. He ripped the ruined toast out of the slot and flung it onto the counter with a quiet curse. "By Nataku, does __nothing work in this house?!" He reached out to shake the toaster, but dropped it again when he realized that the sides were still hot. Grumbling, he swept his ruined breakfast into the garbage and took up his coffee for a long, calming sip. _

            "Where's Heero?" Trowa asked suddenly, shaking Duo out of his amusement at Wufei's predicament. "It's not like him to sleep so late."

            "We all slept late," Duo replied, carefully skirting the subject. Trowa frowned at the other's evasiveness. 

            "Do you think we should wake him?"

            "Hn. No need." All faces, save for Quatre's, turned to find Heero in the doorway, his braid slightly mussed and unkempt, and his face eerily expressionless. Trowa nodded to him, seeming satisfied.

            "Morning, Heero," Duo said cheerfully, deciding it best to pretend that nothing was amiss. Heero was apparently okay with that, because he simply grunted in reply before heading pointedly to the refrigerator.

            "What happened to the toaster?" Heero asked, noticing that the appliance was on its side. Wufei scowled from behind his mug.

            "It has been taken out of commission," he replied coldly. Heero smirked slightly, and disappeared momentarily behind the door of the fridge. Duo's eyes went wide.

            "Hey, Wu, was that a joke?" he asked loudly. Quatre whimpered.

            "Duo …!"

            "Oops, sorry, Q-man," Duo apologized, lowering his voice. Trowa sighed and stood from his chair.

            "Wufei, please help me take Quatre back to bed. He needs more rest," the tall young man said quietly.

            "Why can't Maxwell help you? He's hardly lifted a finger this whole time," Wufei growled irritably. Duo snorted indignantly.

            "Says you!" he frowned, wrinkling his nose at the annoyed Chinese boy. 

            "Please, Wufei?" Trowa tried again. Wufei sighed and set his mug on the counter.

            "Very well, Barton," he conceded, and between the two of them they managed to lift the half-conscious blond without aggravating his tender shoulder. Duo watched them go, carefully avoiding Heero's figure. 

            The door of the refrigerator clicked shut, and Duo's eyes were drawn involuntarily to the only other occupant of the room. Heero was holding an orange, which he was proceeding to peel with his fingernails alone. Duo's face scrunched up with disgust; he personally hated the feel of rind bits beneath his nails. Then he noticed that Heero was avoiding his eyes as well, and the fruit was forgotten. 

            "Um, Heero?" he tried tentatively. Heero looked up, almost startled. Duo gave him a sheepish look.

            "Hey, I'm sorry about yesterday," he said softly. "And for avoiding you until now. I just … um, kind of lost control, and … sorry. I mean it."

            "Sorry for what?" Heero asked bluntly. Duo bit down on his lip for a moment, hoping that Heero wasn't serious. But then again, when was Heero _not serious? He continued to stare expectantly, and Duo sighed. _

            "For the … um …" he faltered, and tapped a finger to his lips in place of an intelligible response. Heero regarded him with a certain degree of thoughtfulness, and then he shrugged.

            "You regret it?"

            "I didn't say that … but I shouldn't have done it …" Duo said quietly, looking to the table and tracing a finger idly across its smooth surface. 

            "… You don't need to apologize to me. I was not offended, after all," Heero said, his tone giving away absolutely nothing. But Duo looked up anyway, shocked.

            "But Heero, I …"

            "Just drop it, Duo," Heero cut him off rather quickly. "I am not angry. Are you?" 

            "No," Duo said, smiling despite himself. Heero nodded.

            "Then everything is fine."

            "I … I guess so," Duo said, returning the gesture. "I wasn't being fair, though. You didn't have to tell me anything. Thank you, though. It means a lot to me."

            "Hn." Heero shifted from one foot to the other, obviously uncomfortable. 

            "So … fair is fair, Heero. You can ask me something, if you want. I'll answer you," Duo offered sincerely. Heero looked at him carefully, unsure. Thoughts of the dream immediately came to mind … He shook his head. No, he would just as soon let that one lie for now. 

            "I have nothing to ask."

            "Oh? Nothing at all?" Duo replied, surprised. "You're not the least bit curious."

            "No." 

            "Huh. Guess that's cool. I thought you would be, though."

            "Hn … I know everything I need to know about you, Duo." Duo looked up sharply at that one.

            "Just what do you mean by that?" 

            Heero just shrugged, and turned to leave the room. 

            "Heero, what …?!"

            "Leave me alone, Duo. I have a lot of work to get done." 

*          *          *

            Heero had been holed up in the den for hours, probably mulling over every last word contained in the files Duo had obtained. He had practically locked himself in there the previous day as well. Duo tarried by the doorway for a moment, but then with a sigh he turned away. Heero didn't want to be disturbed, he had made that clear. Maybe he was just in soldier mode, but Duo couldn't help worrying that perhaps the other boy was mad at him. He'd expected anger, actually, not the weird reaction that he had received earlier in the kitchen. Now he didn't know what to think. Heero wasn't mad about the kiss … but he didn't seem _happy about it either. He hadn't told Duo that it was okay … but he __had told him something about himself. From someone like Heero Yuy, that was a pretty big surrender. _

            So what did it all mean? What was Heero feeling? He wished he could just ask the stubborn pilot, but he was feeling pretty attached to his limbs the way that they were. Plus, he feared putting his braid in danger for a second time. Some of Shinigami's temper seemed to have fueled Heero to greater bounds of irritation. It was too bad, really …

            Answers would just have to be sought elsewhere. He needed the advice of someone who was more experienced than he was. Of course there was no one like that around, so Duo would just have to make do. He trotted off in search of Quatre.

            He tapped lightly on the door before cautiously poking his head around the partially open jamb. His face fell into one of understanding immediately. Quatre was curled up in bed, tucked comfortably in the covers. Trowa was propped against the other side of the headboard on top of the quilts, his long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankle as he sat reading. He looked up when he sensed company, and offered Duo the best smile he could muster. It wasn't much, but Duo recognized it as a friendly expression, so he quietly entered the room. 

            "Is Q awake?" Duo asked softly.

            "Still sleeping," Trowa shook his head, his reply just as quiet. 

            "Oh. Sorry to bother you guys then …" Duo said, lifting a hand to run it through his messy hair nervously. Trowa set his book aside and folded his hands across his abdomen, his full attention on Duo.

            "Is something wrong?" 

            "Um … I just wanted … to talk," Duo shrugged. "Q's a good listener, you know? Plus, he usually understands what's going on anyway before I even tell him. But I don't want to disturb him."

            "Oh," Trowa said. "Well … I'd be glad to listen, Duo, if you need an ear." 

            "Really?" Duo perked up. Trowa nodded, and Duo smiled as he went to carefully sit at Trowa's feet. "In here?"

            "If you can keep it down," Trowa said. "I think he's pretty well out. So, what's troubling you?" 

            "Well …" Duo sighed, his eyes falling to his hands which rested in his lap. "Besides everything? Um … it's Heero." 

            "Is he unwell?"

            "No," Duo shook his head, smiling wryly. "Actually, he's recovering pretty well, all things considered."

            "Hm," Trowa nodded, and just waited for Duo to continue.

            "It's … um …" Duo tried, twining his fingers together nervously. "Quatre was right. On my part anyway. Please don't say anything, Tro, but I … I like him."

            "Duo," Trowa said simply, his eyes sparkling with a strange kind of understanding. "That's plain to see. If anyone could get Heero to be friends, it's you."

            "No, Tro, not …" Duo paused, reaching to twist a section of the quilt in his fingers. "Not like that. I mean, I care for him. More than that. Quatre was right. Well, half way, anyway …" 

            "I see," Trowa said quietly. "So, Heero doesn't feel the same …?"

            "Hell, I dunno," Duo shrugged. "Who knows what he thinks? Who knows what anyone thinks?! Who knows what thoughts are mine and which are his, and which don't even belong in the first place …?!" 

            "Duo," Trowa interrupted him, leaning forward and gently prying his hand away from the blanket that he was currently abusing. "Please calm down …"

            "Sorry, Tro," Duo apologized, folding his hands over his knees and looking down. "I just wanted to know … what can I do? How do I decide what is right?" 

            "It's not all as simple as that," Trowa said, casting a quick glance Quatre's way. "There is rarely a right and a wrong that fits every situation."

            "What do you mean?" 

            "I can't say that I understand what you're going through," Trowa sighed. "But please consider, Duo, what would be different if you and Heero were not switched."

            "What would be …different?" Duo repeated curiously. "What _wouldn't be different?! I mean, we got along all right before this whole mess, as well as can be expected anyway … but we're kind of forced to be close to each other this way. I just don't know …"_

            "You think that perhaps Heero would act differently toward you otherwise?"

            "I don't think, Tro. I know," Duo said. "Just tell me, is there any way I can find out for sure which feelings are real?"

            "That is something you must answer for yourself, Duo," Trowa said softly, shaking his head sadly. "Only you can decide how you feel. Sometimes it takes a lot of hard work … a lot of _sacrifice, to open up about it. Even to yourself." His hand reached over to the sleeping blond, a finger trailing across his feathery bangs.  _

            "Was it rough for you guys?" Duo inquired carefully, knowing exactly what Trowa was talking about. Trowa pulled his gaze away from Quatre, shrugging slightly.

            "Not for him. No, he was never unsure of himself. That is why he is stronger than me," the tall pilot said in a hushed tone. "But your situation is different. It could even be a blessing …"

            "Huh?!" Duo exclaimed, then quickly quieted himself.

            "You have a chance to find out, Duo. Which Heero is it that you care about? The Heero that you can see, or the Heero that you can't?" Duo was silent for a long moment, and then he smiled a little.

            "You're right, Tro," he whispered. "I care about Heero for _who he is, not just what he is. Because even now, even with him trapped in my body, I care about him."_

            "Isn't that something worth investigating, then?" Trowa asked lightly.

            "Thanks a lot, Tro. I mean it. You've been very helpful."

            "My pleasure," Trowa answered tersely, watching Duo stand. Duo looked down at the pair, his eyes growing slightly wistful.

            "You two really are made for each other, you know?" he said, and without waiting for anything else he turned to leave the room. Trowa watched him go, his hand snaking back to lightly fiddle with Quatre's hair. 

            "Maybe you were too, Duo. Just maybe …"

*          *          *

            Wufei paused at the doorway, watching the figure that was hunched over the laptop wearily. The look of concentration on the usually cheerful face was odd, but Wufei had to admit that it suited _Yuy very well. He cleared his throat to announce his presence, and surprised violet eyes looked up at him. He'd caught Heero off guard, good for him. It wasn't much of an achievement, though, all things considered. The boy looked exhausted._

            "Wufei," he greeted tersely.

            "Yuy," Wufei replied just as shortly, taking that as his cue to enter the room. "You've forgotten to eat."

            "Hn," Heero lowered his head for a moment, seeing the plate that Wufei was carrying. Was that for him? "I didn't realize …"

            "I figured as much," Wufei shrugged, approaching the desk and setting the food there a safe distance away from the boy. "Maxwell would not be happy to hear that his body has gone without eating for more than four hours at once."

            Heero smirked slightly at the attempted humor, and he nodded gratefully to the Chinese pilot. It was curious; Wufei almost seemed like he was being … _helpful._

            "Why … why are you here, Wufei?" he brought himself to ask, pulling the plate toward him as he nudged the laptop back a little. Wufei crossed his arms, on the defensive. Heero didn't blame him; he didn't feel any more comfortable, after all.

            "You and Maxwell had a falling out, did you not?" Wufei inquired, his voice less than sensitive. Heero snorted, looking up at Wufei with wide eyes. 

            "What makes you say that?" he asked softly.

            "You're avoiding him. What's more, he's avoiding you. He _never avoids you," Wufei pointed out. "Something happened."_

            "We …" Heero paused, collecting his thoughts. "We just had to work some things out, that's all. Why do you care?"

            "Yuy," Wufei gave a sigh that bordered on a growl, looking away. "Is it a crime to care?"

            "I don't know." Wufei rolled his eyes at the solemn words, and sank rigidly into a nearby chair. He leaned forward to prop his arms on his knees, and looked Heero straight in the face.

            "Look Yuy," he said. "I'm not good at this. I know that. But I also know that, as much as I might not act it, we are a team here. What affects you two affects the rest of us, as well. And after what happened with you both hiding information from us …" he paused, unconsciously kneading his bottom lip between his teeth in nervous thought. "I just want to know that you're both all right." Heero blinked, his food momentarily forgotten as he watched Wufei's face carefully. It was hard for Wufei to say that, he knew. He could scarcely believe that the two of them were talking at all. Realizing that Wufei was watching him as well, he gave a cut nod.

            "Nothing is wrong," he explained, figuring that Wufei wanted a reason for his behavior. "There was just some … awkwardness. Duo was talking about … about _what if …" He trailed off, swiping his hand through the air angrily. _

            "If you are stuck like this?" Wufei supplied softly. Heero nodded weakly.

            "Yes. It made him rather emotional, and confused us both. I think … I think he may be giving up …"

            "No," Wufei interrupted, surprising the Wing pilot. "I've never known Maxwell to be a quitter. Perhaps … perhaps he just feels more realistic, if he faces the possibilities of _what if …" _

            "Well, I'm not ready to consider that. There is a solution. There must be," Heero said, turning his gaze back to the computer screen. "Every battle can be won, with the right strategy."

            "Have you ever considered that this isn't a battle, Yuy?" Wufei said in response. "This isn't about war. This is about two people, that's all." Heero deflated visibly, and avoided Wufei's eyes.

            "I … don't want to see him hurt," he admitted softly. 

            "That's good, Yuy," Wufei said after a short pause. "None of us do. Just don't push yourself too hard in here." With that Wufei got to his feet, turning to leave the room once more. 

            "Aa … Wufei?" Heero called softly after him. Wufei paused, giving a slight glance over his shoulder as he paused near the doorway.

            "Yes, Yuy?"

            "Thank you … for the food."

            Wufei's lips quirked into a small smirk, and with a nod of acknowledgement he turned into the hall. 

*          *          *

            Heero finally came out of the room, some time after the rest of them had already eaten dinner. His face was pale and his eyes red, probably from staring at a computer screen for so long. In one hand he carried the bane to their current predicament, and he quietly set the disk on the small table next to the couch. Wufei didn't bother to glance up at him, but the others did. 

            "Are you taking a break, Heero?" Quatre asked. Heero nodded, and Quatre smiled. "Good. It wouldn't do for you to tire yourself out. Do you feel like eating?"

            "I'm fine," Heero shook his head. 

            "You're sure?" 

            "I dunno, Heero, when's the last time you ate? I'm always hungry at night," Duo said, his tone jesting enough. However, Heero knew that the action was being forced. He turned his eyes on the speaker, and Duo looked back seriously. For a moment neither spoke, and slowly Duo rose from his seat. 

            "Um, listen …"

            "Duo …"

            They both fell silent, embarrassed at having spoken at the same time. Duo reached up to push his bangs out of his face, and Heero reached for the end of his braid. For a second both were silent, and then both of their mouths opened at once as they once again spoke in unison.

            "Can I talk to you?"

_Continued_


	14. Is This It?

**Title: Trading Faces**

**Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.**

**Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing … well, not really eventual anymore I guess *grins***

**Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. Guess I'll have to settle for owning this story (not a fair consolation if you ask me…) **

**A/N: Thanks go to: ****Terrasa (I didn't realize it was such an evil cliffhanger. Um, oops?) ****Foxfire (Glad you liked the inclusion of the other boys) ****SilverShinigami (Du-berries?! *bursts into uncontrollable giggles* Can't say I've heard _that one!) _****Angel of Insanity (Prozac? Somehow, I doubt that's gonna help *grins*) ****baka ryu (Call off your goons, I have to go to class too! *runs from horde*) ****LenaLovely12 (Don't faint, it wasn't _that bad, ne? Here's more!) _****LB (Thanks for the kind review! ^_^) ****Yami Bakura no Tenshi (Thanks, here's more!) ****Dreamer (Oh, I couldn't neglect Wufei if I tried. I wuv him! *glances nervously at irate said pilot* Um, nothing?) ****FireDemon (How am _I going to study when fics like __this just won't leave me alone? Oh, who am I kidding, I love it. Thanks!) _****Fushigi Venus (You want a 3x4? Um … not in this story, but maybe later? *grins*) ****Tash-chan (No, I will tell you nothing! No previews. *grins* Actually, if you bugged me enough I would, you know. Oh well! *waves*) ****Sunfreak (Thanks for the kind comments! *grins* Actually, I was planning to explain a bit more about the disk in this chapter anyway, so I hope it's good enough for your curiosity!) ****Demon Vampyre Goddess (Um, yeah, I don't know what happened to your first review either … anyway, thanks!) ****lillie chan (Strawberry pocky? I'll have you know, bribes have … no … effect … *begins typing rapidly*) ****Naomi (Um, sorry, I _tried to go fast, I really did! Here's more, bribes totally unnecessary …but, um, if you still have that pocky train lined up, I wouldn't turn it away *grins*) _**

            Apologies for the rather delayed update … hopefully the length and content of this chapter will make up for it ^_^.

_ _ _

            Duo allowed Heero to tow him along by his elbow, trying to ignore the discreet looks of curiosity that the others shot their way. Duo didn't blame them, of course; truth be told, he was just as unsure about the situation as everyone else. Heero seemed awfully focused, even for him. Expecting to be dragged into another part of the house, Duo blinked when Heero paused at the other side of the room and turned to face him.

            Heero just stared at him, and Duo stared back. After a few seconds of tense, uncomfortable silence, Duo offered a small smile.

            "Go ahead, Heero, you first," he said. "You look about ready to burst."

            "Baka," Heero grumbled, leaning back against the wall behind him and crossing his arms. "I've discovered a few things about the disk."

            "Oh?" Duo said, careful to keep the sudden disappointment he felt out of his voice. He had been hoping for something else, but then again this _was Heero. He shouldn't have been expecting anything else. "Oh. Well, spill it."_

            "How much do you know about brain activity and function?" Heero asked. Duo rolled his eyes at the question, biting back a sarcastic comment. This was fast turning into a textbook discussion. Definitely not the direction that he wanted to be going, he thought with a slight puff of frustration. 

            "What do you want? That it's the central and most important part of the body's nervous system? That it's the primary center for the management of bodily activities, interpreting sensory impulses, controlling the muscles and body organs? Geez, Heero, if you want an anatomy lesson I'm _not the one to come to, okay?"_

            "I'm serious. In order to understand what I'm going to tell you, you have to have some basic knowledge of the way a human body functions," Heero said tersely. Duo rolled his eyes again.

            "I'm not stupid, Heero. I _know what a brain is. Just try me, huh?" Heero narrowed his eyes, but after a moment of pause he nodded._

            "All right. The brain is also the base of consciousness, thought, memory, and emotion. Science, for the most part, doesn't know exactly how these functions behave."

            "Hey," Duo interrupted. "Is this something the others need to hear too?"

            "Hn. Not right now," Heero responded coldly. "Will you let me finish?" 

            "I guess," Duo sighed. "Do you have to be so boring, though? I mean, blah blah blah, the brain is responsible for a person's consciousness and memory. I _know that, Heero."_

            "What I was _going to say," Heero said, glaring pointedly at the other boy, "was that these functions are supposed to be very difficult to manipulate. That is why there are very rarely cures for brain injuries such as amnesia. Science has a hard time manipulating the way a person thinks, acts, and remembers."_

            "But …?" Duo prodded verbally, feeling that Heero was leading into something.

            "But the man that created the disk apparently found a way to take advantage of these functions," Heero said simply, anger evident only in his eyes. The rest of him just looked bored, but Duo knew better. Heero was pissed. This couldn't be good.  

            "And you found out how?" 

            "More or less," Heero shrugged, his fingers clenching into fists unconsciously as his eyes drifted to stare at something beyond Duo. "I'll try to make this as simple as possible, because it took me quite a few hours to catch onto it myself."

            "I'm listening," Duo said, looking at Heero expectantly. 

            "It works on brain waves," Heero said. "Gamma rhythms[1], to be precise."

            "What are …?"

            "Basically, gamma rhythms are made up of very fast brain waves. They are involved with the processes of perception and consciousness," Heero interrupted, anticipating his question. "It's a lot more complicated than that, but I doubt you want to hear it."

            "You're right, I don't," Duo shrugged. "But anyway, you were saying?"

            "Right," Heero sighed, looking back at Duo once more to make sure the boy was following. "All you really need to know is that gamma rhythms make up your consciousness. The disk … protean modifier, whatever you want to call it, knows how to isolate gamma rhythms and … for lack of a better term, _capture them."_

            "Okay," Duo said, drawing out the word in a sigh of frustration. 

            "Don't you see?" Heero snorted quietly. "The disk is a holding cell for a person's consciousness. It is able to somehow steal the gamma rhythm pattern of a person and … take it within itself. Apparently, when it sensed the presence of two different beings touching it, it was set off. It captured each of our gamma rhythms, processed them inside of itself, and exchanged them. All within a split second of time."

            "So … the prick we both felt? That was the disk … stealing our gamma stuff?" Duo asked, frowning.

            "I can only assume so," Heero nodded. 

            "This is totally bizarre," Duo groaned. Heero scowled, but he didn't protest.

            "I didn't say it made sense. I'm just telling you what I know. The dynamics of the disk are still a bit sketchy, even with all the data I've been over. But from what I can tell, that is how it operates."

            "So, we just have to get it to suck our whatever …"

            "Gamma rhythm," Heero interrupted.

            "Yeah yeah, our gamma _rhythm back into itself, and get it to exchange them back to normal?" Duo said, looking at Heero with a faint expression of hope._

            "That would be ideal, yes," Heero said, his face falling slightly. "However, if it were that simple we would have been able to switch back before. Something is still missing."

            "Like what?!" Duo snapped.

            "I don't know!" Heero hissed. "If I knew, wouldn't I be the first to suggest it?! Our data is still inside of the disk, which should make it easier to work if anything! " 

            "Sorry," Duo sighed glumly. "But it doesn't help to know how the dumb thing works if we can't get it to actually give some results."

            "I agree," Heero said quietly. "I can only come up with the options that it's jammed, or perhaps experiencing some other kind of malfunction, or that it needs to be reset somehow …"

            "Or that it only works once?" Duo whispered. 

            "Or that," Heero nodded solemnly, his eyes growing slightly pained at that admission. "Duo, we can't assume that it's a hopeless cause …"

            "I know, Heero, and I'm sorry I brought it up before, but …" Duo interrupted, only to be cut off by Heero.

            "No. You were right to … be realistic. You were strong to take such a stance. I think … we should face what might be." Duo's expression grew sad, and Heero sighed. 

            "Yeah, guess so, huh? So … we're not giving up, are we?"

            "Of course not!" Heero snorted. "We will still continue to search for a solution. However, I think we should not devote all of our time to finding a cure. We do have other priorities … higher priorities …"

            "Missions, you mean," Duo said. Heero nodded curtly.

            "Yes. I think it's best to put those first, before anything else. We will just have to function as best we can, and not let our … condition … keep us from the risks we normally would take."

            "You're right," Duo nodded slowly. "So, you're saying that until we find a way to fix this, the bodies we're in are to be considered our own?"

            "Yes," Heero said. "It would be detrimental, otherwise. I cannot fear for the safety of your body when I have a mission to accomplish, and neither can you."

            "I understand, Heero," Duo said, smiling bravely. "That's fine. So this is me for now? And that's you?" Heero nodded, reaching to tug on his braid without realizing it. Duo caught the action, and smiled wistfully.

            "That's cool, then," he said softly, his voice quavering slightly despite himself. "You … you don't have to keep the braid then, if it bothers you. You can …"

            "No!" Heero cut him off, a little louder than he had meant to. In fact, he had practically shouted the word. The others all looked at them sharply, unable to keep to themselves any longer.

            Duo looked back at them sheepishly, trying desperately to come up with something to cover for Heero's outburst. How much had they all heard, anyway? They were all just _watching … _

            "Everything okay?" Quatre asked tactfully, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. Duo nodded eagerly.

            "Yeah, everything's fine. Just a little, um, property discussion. It's really nothing to get excited abou… Wufei! What are you doing?!" Duo burst suddenly, noticing for the first time that the Chinese pilot had picked up the disk sometime during their discussion. He was calmly prodding at it with one of Duo's picking tools, looking as if he was trying to pry it open. Duo lunged at him anxiously.

            Wufei looked up at the shout, just in time to see an irate Japanese face coming at him. He tried to lean back out of the way, but Duo was too fast. He knocked the disk from Wufei's hands, tackling the boy to the couch with desperate anger and fear.

            "Just what do you think you were _doing?! Are you __trying to get us stuck like this?! Do you __want to break that disk?!" Duo ranted, shaking the stunned boy beneath him weakly. Wufei managed to push him off and sit, trying to salvage whatever dignity he could._

            "Maxwell, I was not hurting it," he defended himself, reaching down to scoop up the disk and pull out the thin tool that was protruding from the slim hole in the disk's side. "I would never jeopardize your situation, but I thought I could help."

            "By disemboweling our one and only hope?!" Duo spat back, reaching over and snatching the disk from Wufei's hands. "Honestly, you think _I'm an idiot! Look at __you!"_

            "I was just experimenting, Maxwell," Wufei snapped back. "It doesn't have that small hole in its side just for fun, you know! I thought maybe it would trigger something!" 

            "Ask next time, then, before you go and do something like this!" Duo instructed, managing to calm his anger just a little. "These are our lives, Wufei, not yours. They aren't yours to mess with!"

            "Maxwell … I'm sorry," Wufei said calmly, his eyes showing faint consternation at Duo's outburst. Duo sighed, his face growing weary and strained once more.

            "It's all right, Fei, no harm done. You just scared the hell out of me. Somehow poking the damn thing with sharp pointies does not sound like the most helpful idea in the world. I mean, did the data say anything about a … Heero?" Duo had turned, and found that Heero was no longer in the room. Frowning a little, he realized that he had still not gotten to say his piece. It figured that Heero would run off as soon as he got the chance. Glancing around at the others, Duo raked one hand over his cheek.

            "Listen, I still need to talk to Heero, and I'm damn tired too," he announced. "I'm going upstairs, okay? See you guys tomorrow." He stood and walked from the room, grateful that they let him go in silence. He didn't think he could take any of their false promises of optimistic hope. Heading to the stairs, he trudged up wearily toward the room that he and Heero were supposedly sharing. Of course, Heero had not slept in the room since Duo had arrived, so he wondered fleetingly if the boy would be there at all. Still carrying the disk in his loosely fisted hand, Duo slowly mounted the stairs. 

            He tapped lightly on the door just in case Heero was within, and when he received no answer he cautiously nudged the door open with his foot. The room beyond was dark, but Duo could vaguely make out the silhouette of a figure sitting hunched on the bed. Heero's knees were drawn up against his chest, his arms wrapped around his legs with his chin propped comfortably on his knees. He did not look Duo's way, though it was obvious that he sensed the intrusion.

            Deciding now was not the time to feel intimidated, Duo calmly stepped into the room, shut the door behind him and took a few cautious paces toward the bed. Heero still did not grace him with the smallest glance.

            "Hey," Duo said softly, calling to the unresponsive boy. "We weren't finished, you know? You okay?"

            "I'm fine," Heero bit out, his gaze still straight ahead. Duo's eyes were fast adjusting to the dimness of the room, and he noticed the imprecise discomfort playing on Heero's face. Duo frowned.

            "You don't sound fine."

            "Well I am!"

            "Then why'd you run off?"

            "…I didn't mean to shout," Heero finally said, avoiding a more direct answer. Duo shrugged.

            "Hey, it's not like I cared," he offered lightly. Heero turned to glare at him then, and Duo almost preferred the unresponsive Heero. 

            "I do not shout," Heero said. "Not over such trivial things."

            "Well, I guess I'm rubbing off on you or something," Duo said, trying to joke, but then his face fell as he moved to carefully sit a safe distance away from Heero on the bed. "Listen, it was no big deal. But if you've changed your mind, about the braid I mean …"

            "No," Heero whispered. "I will not cut your braid, Duo. You don't have to worry." Duo sighed. 

            "I do worry," he said softly. "About you, Heero. It's your body now, right? You can do what you want. I won't mind either way."

            "Your hair is important to you."

            "Yeah … but it's _yours now, Heero."_

            "…I'm going to keep it," Heero said solidly, looking down. 

            "Oh. Okay then," Duo said simply, feeling the familiar pull of a smile twinge his lips despite himself. He didn't know why Heero was acting this way, but he wasn't going to complain. He'd kind of expected Heero to want to get rid of the unnecessary plait. He reached out to lightly tap Heero's foot, drawing the boy's attention. Heero looked up once more.

            "We didn't get to finish talking, you know," Duo said softly. "Do you mind?" Heero shook his head, but stayed silent. Duo took that as a signal that Heero had nothing left to say, and he looked down at the device in his hands. 

            "Kinda funny, isn't it?" He was speaking before he realized the words had formed. "Inside this stupid little thing, there's a part of you and a part of me."

            "Hn," Heero murmured softly, lifting his chin slightly from the cradle of his knees to look at the boy more clearly. Duo gave a small, wistful smile then. 

            "It's ironic, I think. Inside here," he paused, pointing to his chest, "it's you. But it's me, too. A part of you, a part of me. Same thing inside there." He pointed at Heero, who simply shrugged with discomfort. Duo sighed, setting the disk on the bedspread between them. 

            "Forget about it for now, Heero," Duo said, leaning forward to prop himself up with his hands. "Just for now, I'm only me and you're only you. Tell me how much it bothered you. Please? I …have to know."

            "Duo … what …?" Heero began, confused. Duo sighed.

            "Yesterday, Heero," he said patiently. "How much did it bother you? I didn't mean to freak you out or anything, but I just wanna know how mu…"

            "None," Heero said quietly, cutting off Duo's rambling. Duo blinked, certain that he had misheard.

            "Huh?" was the only reply he could come up with. 

            "It didn't bother me, Duo," Heero repeated in a barely audible voice. "Not because of the …contact, anyway. Maybe a little from the fact that I was with my own body …" Duo snorted suddenly.

            "Yeah, that was pretty freaky, huh? Like a bad Twilight Zone, or something." Heero just looked at him blankly, and Duo shook his head. "Ah, never mind. But, um … the fact that I … well, that I _did that, it didn't bother you?"_

            "No," Heero said, pausing slightly for a moment of brief thought. "It might have … been unexpected, but not unpleasant …" Duo snickered a little then, earning him another glare. 

            "What?" 

            "Oh, nothing. You just … talk about it so methodically. It's funny."

            "Hn. Not to _me."_

            "Sorry," Duo dipped his head, realizing that the boy was, as usual, deadly serious. "But, um, if that's the case … you wouldn't be opposed to trying again?" 

            "What do you mean?" Heero asked warily.

            "Well, if we were in our normal bodies, would you, um, be … _interested in me?"_

            "I don't know. I've never thought about it before."

            "Then think about it now." Heero obeyed, sitting quietly as Duo fiddled absently with the hem of his tank top, the stitching of the quilt, the ends of his shorts …

            "Geez, it's not a life or death decision, Heero," he finally burst. "Do you like me, or don't you? 'Cause I know it didn't take me this long to decide how I feel about _you." Heero looked up sharply at that, his eyes suddenly curious. _

            "Tell me," he demanded simply. Duo fidgeted. 

            "Um …"

            "Duo, please …"

            "I do, Heero," he said quietly. "I decided … I care about you for who you are in there, not what you are out here." He waved his hand dismissively around the room. Heero watched him with stony silence, and Duo felt a wave of disappointment. What had he been expecting, anyway?

            "Listen," he started again, avoiding Heero's eyes. "I'll understand if you don't feel the same. I just have to know, you know? Never know unless you try, and I knew I had to take the chance. But you can tell me, Heero, just be honest. That's all I want."

            "Duo." Heero's hands had reached out and gently turned his face back so that they were eye to eye again. "I care about you."

            "Wh-what? You do?" Duo whispered. 

            "Of course I do," Heero nodded, still expressionless. Duo felt like squirming, but he forced himself to stay still. He slowly pulled out of Heero's grasp, chancing a small smile. 

            "I mean, more than just a comrade, Heero. I know you care about all of us as allies, but what I mean is …"

            "I know what you mean, Duo," Heero cut him off. "My answer is still the same. I don't regret yesterday. Do you?"

            "No …" Duo whispered. Heero smirked. 

            "That must mean something."

            "Just what I was thinking," Duo nodded, watching Heero carefully. "So … maybe we could … try again?" Heero's face grew more distant. 

            "Maybe, but … it's too strange. I'm not sure if we can get past this whole …" he trailed off, words becoming useless as he simply motioned between their bodies. Duo gave a frustrated sigh.

            "Believe me, Heero, I've been thinking about that. I don't really like the idea of locking lips with myself, but that's not really me anymore is it? I mean, if we close our eyes and don't say anything, maybe it'll be like I'm just me and you're just you. Do you think?" Heero looked doubtful, but he looked at Duo's hopeful eyes and felt his will crumble. He didn't even see his own eyes anymore, all he could see was Duo's perfected pout. Sighing, he shrugged his shoulders. 

            "I guess … we could try …"

            "So," Trowa spoke up first, surprising the other two, "who else was listening to every word they said?"

            "Eavesdropping, Barton?" Wufei frowned, one of his eyebrows arching up in surprise. Trowa gave a small smirk.

            "I don't think you can deny that you were listening too," the tall pilot said coolly. 

            "So what if I was?" Wufei snorted, leaning back into the couch. "If they wanted privacy, they should have gone to another room."

            "I don't think they minded us," Quatre said. "They would have gone elsewhere otherwise. That certainly is an … interesting theory."

            "It makes sense," Trowa shrugged. "As much as it can, anyway. What I don't understand is why it won't work now. If Heero and Duo's information is in the disk already, shouldn't it be easy to work again?"

            "Maybe the disk can't recognize that it's the same two people," Quatre said quietly. "Maybe it needs to be cleared of the previous data before it can work again?" There was silence for a moment, as the other two pilots looked at the blond. 

            "That's actually … a very good idea, Quatre," Trowa said at last. 

            "What? I was just talking, I wasn't serious …" Quatre blushed slightly.

            "Barton is right, it's a good theory. I think that situation is very likely," Wufei said. "Which is why, before Maxwell so rudely interrupted, I was trying to see if I could find it."

            "Find what?" Quatre asked. 

            "A reset button," Wufei said simply, shrugging. "What other purpose would that small hole have? It had to have been put there for a reason." Silence overcame the trio again, and for a moment no one moved. Then Trowa looked to Quatre, a silent suggestion hidden in his eyes. Quatre blinked.

            "I don't know … would we invade their privacy by looking at the information Duo brought back?" he asked.

            "If Yuy didn't lock the computer, I'd say it's free game," Wufei pointed out. Trowa nodded.

            "So … the den, then?"

            "Yeah."

            The three rose to their feet and left the room.

            The first tentative touch of their lips was met with a good deal of awkwardness. It wasn't a kiss really, just a trembling contact between them as they tried to calm their nerves. Duo had squeezed his eyes shut, his hands propping him up on the bed as he leaned toward his companion. He barely registered the touch as he tried to calm down his nerves. It was just Heero, it was only Heero … he had nothing to be nervous about …

            This cautious exploration was apparently enough to convince Heero, who suddenly reached out to pull Duo closer. Duo didn't fight his arms, but he yelped slightly as his knee smashed into the disk. He nudged the device away, trapping it between Heero's thigh and his own leg as he crawled a little closer. It wasn't unpleasant. In fact, he found that he immensely enjoyed the closeness. 

            So then he kissed Heero for real. Heero's hand moved to fist into Duo's shirt, pulling the boy closer as they each got the fist taste of a real embrace. Duo lifted one hand to lightly trace along Heero's arm, moving his lips ardently against Heero's mouth. The other boy wasn't shy, that was for sure. He seemed to long for the contact as much as Duo did. 

            He tried to ignore the annoyance of the cool metal device pressed against his leg, but finally it was too much to bear. It was digging into Heero's leg as well, and so with a slight growl Duo reached down to grab the offending disk. His fingers mashed random buttons as he dragged the object out from between them, allowing their bodies to get even closer. Pushing it behind him, he paid no attention to the fact that the disk was upside down. So he didn't notice when the light flickered, or that words had suddenly appeared on the small digital panel. He didn't notice anything, except the boy that he was currently tangled up with. 

            The kisses had grown a lot more confident, and Heero's grip on him had only tightened, if anything. Duo's hand traveled higher, brushing Heero's neck softly and moving toward the back of his shoulders. He froze when his hand made contact with the thick rope of hair trailing down Heero's back. The illusion shattered in Duo's mind, and he jolted back from the kiss slightly. Heero whimpered quietly, his nose still pressed against Duo's.

            "Mm … Duo?" he murmured. Duo winced. The voice was not Heero's voice. Damn it, he couldn't hold it together! He couldn't pretend that it was Heero, not like this. He sighed despondently, pulling back even farther. Heero gave him a confused look, letting his hand fall away from Duo's chest, and Duo thought he saw a small flash of hurt cross the boy's face. Patting Heero's cheek affectionately, he gave the boy an apologetic look.

            "Sorry, Heero," he whispered. "But I don't think I can do this yet. It's not that I don't want to, but I still can't see you like this without thinking it's me …"

            "Duo …" Heero said softly. 

            "I'm sorry, really," Duo repeated. "It's not you, Heero, it's me." There was a slight pause, and suddenly Duo flung himself to his back on the bed with a snort of bitter amusement. "God, that excuse sounds even _more trite than normal …" Heero's face was turned away from him, and Duo reached out to gently touch his hand. _

            "Heero?"

            Heero turned toward him, his lips curved into a wry smirk. Slowly, he lifted his hand away from Duo's touch so that he could hold onto Duo's fingers. He brought them up against his chest, and cradled the hand there.

            "It's all right, Duo," he said quietly, looking away. "I understand." Duo sighed again, looking regretfully at the other boy. He felt a pang of hurt at the injustice of the situation. It was miraculous enough that Heero cared at all, but the situation still kept them from what they both really wanted. He suddenly felt like crying, even though he knew that wasn't a possibility. 

            Tugging on his captured hand a little, he tried to get Heero's attention. Heero released him immediately, and looked down at the bed in front of him. He still didn't want to meet Duo's questioning gaze. Mistaking Duo's pulling away as a sign of displeasure, he sighed.

            "I should leave you alone," he said tersely. Duo tensed up. He didn't want Heero to leave. That was the _last thing he wanted._

            "No, Heero," he said before he could stop the words. "Um … just because this is all awkward and messed up, it doesn't mean I want to start avoiding you again. I'd … sort of like it, if you'd stay …" He watched Heero's shoulders stiffen, and prepared himself for Heero's swift departure. But Heero didn't move. 

            Heero was surprised, if anything. He thought Duo would be disgusted with him, that he'd want some space to recover. But Duo had asked him to stay. He didn't know if he should …

            Memories of the nightmare flashed across his mind. He shivered slightly.

            He didn't want to go through that again. And he really did need to sleep.

            Duo had offered him a way out. Slowly, he nodded.

            "Aa … I'll stay," he whispered. Duo grinned, and suddenly latched onto Heero's arm as he pulled him backward onto the bed. 

            "Good," Duo said simply, throwing an arm around Heero's waist and snuggling up to his shoulder. "I'm pretty tired, so is it okay if we go to sleep?" 

            "…Okay," Heero replied helplessly. "Let me go, and I'll get the blankets."

            "Mm, forget it," Duo said, tightening his hold. "I'm good like this. You?"

            "…Yes. This is good," Heero conceded, moving his arms to hold Duo against him. A small smile stole across Heero's face. He hadn't lied. This _was good._

            Neither noticed that the disk was closed in between their legs. For the moment it had been completely forgotten. 

*          *          *

            It was well into the night, and both boys were sleeping with surprising peace in each other's arms. The room had grown a little colder, causing them to unconsciously burrow closer together. 

            Shifting slightly on his side, Duo's calf came to rest on the smooth, cold surface of the disk. His face contorted into one of displeasure at the frigid sensation. As if sensing his disturbance, Heero moved himself closer to his companion and tensed his embrace.

            His shin happened to brush the disk for a split second. 

            But a split second was all it took. 

            Too deep in sleep, neither boy was fazed by the slight pinching sensation to their skin. 

*          *          *

            Duo came slowly into awareness, still disappointingly weary. He contemplated going back to sleep, but then he noticed the warm bundle in his arms and suddenly jolted awake. His arms were securely fastened around a deeply breathing figure, and his shoulder was slightly numb from the tousled head that was nestled there. 

            Closing his eyes momentarily, Duo smiled as he recalled the fact that Heero had fallen asleep with him last night. And Heero was still here, sleeping in his arms peacefully with his messy hair sprawled all over Duo's shoulder. 

            Duo blinked, suddenly tense. Something wasn't right. He turned his eyes back to his bedmate, taking in the dark, tangled hair that framed the face so close to his. _Heero's face. Oh god … Heero's face?!_

            Struggling to get free of the other boy without waking him, Duo sat up to rub at his face, trying to calm himself. He was hallucinating, that was all. Then his hands met with a lot more hair than he was prepared for, and he paused. Moving his hands slowly, he groped along his own head to feel the thick mass of hair. Long hair. His fingers met a familiar braid, and he gave a squeak of alarm. 

            Spinning, he nearly fell out of bed. His eyes locked on the sleeping figure, and he forgot to breathe for a minute. It was Heero, all right. What had happened?! Was this a dream …?

            Reaching for his own arm, he calmly pinched a bit of skin between his thumb and pointer finger. It hurt, but he was so dazed that he hardly noticed. Shaking his head, he looked around wildly. How the hell had this happened?!

            His eyes fell on the disk, and his mouth opened in silent question. Lunging, he grabbed the device and pulled it close to his face. It didn't look any different, except that there were now words displayed on the screen.

            _Modification complete_

            "No way …" Duo murmured, barely audible. "No freakin' way …" His mind swam in confused circles as he tried to digest the situation before him. The disk had done something, apparently. But it had been inoperable. It couldn't have changed them back for real, right …?

            He remembered the night before, when Wufei had been fiddling with the object. He had said something about a hole on the side of the disk … at that time, Duo had been too upset to care, but now he was curious. Turning the device in his hands, he found the fissure and ran a careful finger over it. Wufei had been poking around in there … had he really done something to it?

            Turning to the bedside table, Duo tore open the door hastily to search for an appropriate tool. He dug furiously, cursing under his breath when nothing presented itself right away. He finally came up with a paperclip, and twisted it into one long piece quickly. 

            Inserting it into the gap in the disk, Duo pressed down and wiggled the wire as much as he could. He couldn't feel or hear any sort of click, but as he stared at the disk he saw the words on the screen disappear. Then some new characters scrolled once across the display.

            _Ready to operate … _

            Duo laughed out loud. Wufei had found a reset button! Wufei had fixed the damn thing, without even realizing it! He tossed the disk onto the floor carelessly, suddenly more interested in something else. His hand darted out to pinch the softest part of Heero's cheek.

            The boy was alert immediately, bolting his head up as he recoiled from the contact. He scowled darkly.

            "Duo …" he growled angrily.

            "Yeah?" Duo asked cheerfully.

            "What the hell was that for?!" 

            "Heero," Duo said, looking at him closely. Heero seemed oblivious to everything. He just kept glaring. "Heero, look at me."

            "What?!"

            "Look. At. Me," Duo repeated, and suddenly he was on his knees on the bed pulling Heero up. "It's me! I'm _me, Heero! You're you! Just __look!"_

            Heero's eyes widened, and suddenly Duo was supporting all of his weight as his body went limp with shock. 

            "B-but how …?" he asked softly. Duo laughed and let Heero fall back to the pillows, standing to his full height on the bed and spinning.

            "I don't even care!" he shouted happily. "I think Wufei fixed it, but I'm not even gonna ask! Doesn't matter! C'mon, Heero, let's go show them!" With that he leapt impetuously off the bed, tearing out of the room and down the hall with a whoop of pure joy. Heero just lay on the bed watching after him, shocked.

            The others sat in the kitchen, quiet and sullen. They had stayed up well into the night trying to discover anything they could on the computer about the disk, but they hadn't been able to come up with anything. Quatre had finally suggested that sleep would help them think more clearly, and the other two had agreed reluctantly. Sleep had been fitful for all three, and they all hunched over their coffee in their own thoughts. 

            Wufei rose, walking toward the sink to get rid of his mug, when the thundering of anxious footsteps sounded from the stairs. Trowa and Quatre looked up to see a braided figure dash into the room, making a beeline for the Chinese boy whose back was turned. Without hesitation, the braided boy leapt through the air and attached himself to Wufei's back, laughing at Wufei's indignant yelp of surprise.

            "Yuy?!" Wufei exclaimed, catching a flash of a brown braid swinging around him. "What the hell …?!"

            "Nuh uh, Wu, guess again!" Duo chirped, laughing again when he felt Wufei falter slightly under his weight. The two at the table had frozen, their faces growing slightly pale.

            "Um …" Quatre said helplessly. Duo squeezed Wufei around the neck, who still seemed too confused to fight back.

            "What …?" the Chinese boy started slowly.

            "Man, Wu, you're the absolute greatest! You fixed it, you fixed it!" Duo crowed, pulling back on Wufei's neck as he threw his head back in laughter. The action was too much, and the two went toppling to the ground. 

            Duo kept on giggling, totally giddy with relief, and he wormed his way out from beneath Wufei to grin down at the stunned Asian face.

            "Hey, Wu, you look like you've seen a ghost or something," he said casually. "I think you need some more coffee or something …" Wufei blinked up at the shining violet eyes hovering above him, and swallowed with difficulty.

            "Maxwell?" he whispered, unsure. Duo grinned.

            "The one and only!" he nodded. "Thanks a lot, man, I mean it! I don't know how you knew but I'm sorry for yelling, 'cause you totally did the right thing and I never would have thought to …"

            "Maxwell," Wufei said again as he sat, interrupting the boy.

            "Yeah?"

            "What the hell is going on?" he asked pointedly. Duo pushed himself to his feet, grinning widely.

            "You _fixed us, Fei! Well, fixed the disk, but that's beside the point. We're back to normal!" he announced. "It's that just the __greatest?!" _

            "Uh …" Wufei said less-than-gracefully, getting to his feet shakily. Quatre and Trowa stood as well, and the blond came closer to him with a hopeful expression on his face.

            "Are you serious? You're really …?"

            "It's really me, Q-man, it really is!" Duo nodded, grabbing the blond and spinning him around in circles as he laughed some more. Quatre started to laugh too, and Duo finally released him with a grin. He turned toward the tall pilot; Trowa actually looked happy. Duo refrained from pulling him around the kitchen, but he grinned at the pilot enthusiastically.

            There was a slight noise at the doorway, and they all turned to find Heero leaning nonchalantly against the jamb with crossed arms and a neutral expression on his face. Duo's grin widened, if that was possible, and he locked eyes with the stoic pilot. 

            "Hey Heero! 'Bout time you got down here!" he exclaimed. 

            "Hn," Heero shrugged impassively, looking around at the shocked but pleased expressions of the others. Duo reached up to tug at his hair, his insane grin fading slightly.

            "Well, _you've wasted no time getting back to normal, I see," he pointed out._

            "Are you complaining?" Heero asked tersely. Duo smiled softly then, approaching the glaring pilot.

            "No, Heero," he replied; then, with uncommon shyness, he threw his arms around the Japanese pilot's shoulders to pull him into a hug. "No, I'm not complaining." Heero blinked, unsure, but then very slowly he lifted his arms to circle around Duo's back. Duo laughed happily, and the other pilots shifted nervously as they tried not to stare. Quatre was the only one who didn't feel strange; he smiled knowingly at the pair.

            Suddenly Duo whirled away from Heero, grinning as though nothing was amiss. He put his hands on his hips and looked around.

            "Okay, there was one thing I promised myself I was gonna do the moment I got my body back," Duo announced. The other pilots exchanged nervous glances. 

            "If this is about junk food then forget it. We don't have any," Wufei said casually. Duo stuck his tongue out at the Chinese boy.

            "Not _that, Fei!" he replied, rolling his eyes. "But have we got a hammer or something anywhere?"_

            "Hm? What for?" Quatre asked, frowning slightly in confusion. Duo's smile widened, gaining a mischievous quality that made the other pilots nervous. 

            "For smashing," he replied evenly. "I'm going to _kill that damn disk!"_

_Continued _

  


* * *

[1] Gamma rhythms – This is an actual brain wave phenomenon involved in higher metal activities, but honestly I'm just inventing a lot of this technical stuff. I trust you won't mind if I take the liberty? ^_^ I tried to make it sound realistic, anyway, but I'm not that knowledgeable about the structures of the human brain.


	15. Epilogue

**Title: Trading Faces**

**Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.**

**Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing … well, not really eventual anymore I guess *grins***

**Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. Guess I'll have to settle for owning this story (not a fair consolation if you ask me…) **

**A/N: Thanks go to: ****Olivia (hehehe, your review made me laugh, and I'm not quite sure why. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed!) ****Terrasa**** (Evil? Not very … I was thinking realistic … okay, so it was evil. Sounded like something they'd do though *shrugs* thanks so much!) ****SilverShinigami (Yeah, this is the end. And it's actually … fluffy? Anyway, I hope you like!) ****Yui-Mag (Oh, you don't have to bow to me ::though I am secretly pleased and flattered beyond belief!:: I'm so glad you like) ****LB (Thanks so much for all your compliments/comments. Hope you like this part!) ****Nitid**** (Thanks for the compliment … I'm glad you think my writing style is good! I've actually not seen a lot of body switch fics –in this category anyway- but maybe I just haven't seen 'em. *shrugs*) ****Yami**** Bakura no Tenshi (Um, yes, there is more … and here it is! Here ya go!) ****Dreamer (Yeah, I'm still thinking about a Heero-centric side fic of some kind … something's in the works but it isn't cooperating at the moment. But I'm glad you like this, and here's more!) ****Tori**** Sakana (Simple? Yes! Isn't that the way it always happens in real life though? Hehehe, anyway … of course I switched 'em back. I'm not cruel … all the time *grins*) ****ReySolo (Hehehe, I'd be bouncing around too, wouldn't you? Glad you liked it so much! Thanks!) ****Miharu (Thank you, thank you, thank you for the compliments! Hope you like the rest!) ****LenaLovely12 (Thanks! Glad you liked!) ****Bunetwo (Hey, thanks so much for the compliments. Yeah, it's about over. Enjoy the rest!) ****Elle-FaTe2x1 (It IS a good thing! Hehehe, here's more! Thanks!) ****Tash-chan (Heh, your review made me laugh. You aren't that blonde, Tash-chan! You wouldn't believe _everything I told you … or would you? Hehehe, enjoy!) _****Solus**** Nox (Well, just this last part to wrap stuff up. Thanks, hope you like!) ****Violet Yuy-Maxwell (Heh, it's okay, I'm not gonna switch Fei and Duo … that would be a whole 'nother story entirely. *shakes head in wonder* That would be _dangerous! Anyway, thanks!) _****baka**** ryu (Yes, I said continued. And here's the continuation! Thanks, enjoy!) **

            Well, this is the last part. Thanks to anyone and everyone who has given me any sort of feedback, and thanks most of all for reading! If you've made it this far, you obviously liked something *grins*. Enjoy the rest, and I hope to see you all again next time! *waves* Okay, chapter time …

_ _ _

            Duo stole into the house as quietly as he could, snickering to himself as he clutched a bulging envelope to his chest. Looking around warily, he sighed relief when he realized that the house was still and silent. As late as it was, Duo had been anticipating such silence. He had been betting that by now the other pilots would all be occupied, giving him time to barrel up the stairs and into his room unseen.

            Heero had been called away to a mission, and Duo had not wasted the time. The Japanese boy had not yet returned, which was why he had to hurry. It had been nearly a week since they had destroyed the last traces of OZ's protean modifier experiment, and this was the first chance that he had gotten to have some time just to himself. 

            Shutting his door with a soft click, he kicked off his shoes and dove headfirst onto the bed. Hastily tearing open the envelope, he stretched out and languidly began setting out each individual, glossy sheet after giving each one thoughtful examination. He had been through each one already numerous times as computer images, choosing his favorites. He knew he couldn't risk printing too many, so he had only chosen the ones he liked best to copy onto the crisp photo paper that he now had before him.

            It had been hard to choose. 

            He had already decided not to tell Heero about the photos just yet. The boy would get all uptight and tell him that it was a danger to their identity to have their images professionally developed on film. At least, Duo imagined that would be his argument if he wasn't too angry to look past the fact that Duo actually salvaged some of the pictures of him. He wasn't sure if he would be able to save the photos if Heero got it in his head to destroy them, which was why Duo had waited for him to get called away before developing them. 

            He lifted one picture, careful not to smudge the surface with his fingertips, smiling softly as he examined it in detail. This one was, without a doubt, his favorite. Quatre had taken it just after he had finished laughing; Duo could make out the faint creases around Heero's sparkling eyes that alluded to the action. His face was in the process of turning, and the light of the room had caught his features just right. Heero's hair fell artistically around his face, and the smile on the usually expressionless visage was perfect. Not silly or exaggerated, just a simple smile of amusement. 

            Duo's finger traced the air over Heero's image, his own face mirroring the smile with a touch of wistfulness. He seriously doubted that Heero's face would ever look so carefree again. This photo needed a safe place to stay. Quickly gathering the others and stuffing them back into the envelope, he shoved the bundle under his pillow and rolled off of the bed. Luckily, he was ready for this too. He wanted to buy an album someday, but for now the frame he had picked up would have to do. 

            Digging through his half of the closet, which was coincidentally a lot larger than Heero's half, he finally grabbed onto a small sack hidden beneath a pile of hastily discarded clothing that had actually been strategically placed. Gently, he pulled out the gilded frame that was about the size of the picture in his other hand. 

            The frame was twined with white silver and shadowy platinum, dark and light at the same time. Duo smiled, approving of his choice. He pried the frame open on the back and slid the photo in, positioning it just right before closing it up again. Then he turned it in his hand and gazed at it a while, his face one of satisfaction. He decided that he would probably keep the photo in Deathscythe; that way Heero would never stumble across it, and it would also never risk being left behind. Tucking the frame into his duffle, he rocked back on his heels and grinned. 

            "Someday," he whispered to himself. "Someday, Heero's gonna smile like that again. Only this time I'm gonna be right there next to him. That'll make an even better picture." The silence of the room was his only answer, but he wasn't expecting anything else. 

            Heero sighed to himself as he trekked slowly along the cracked sidewalk of the dark, mostly deserted street. He was tired, and his muscles ached from the aftereffects of adrenaline and battle. The outskirts of town were quiet, as most people were already tucked away in their homes for the evening. All the same Heero hunched into himself, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible to his surroundings. He didn't want to be noticed, not now. 

            His laptop rode in the bag slung carelessly over his shoulder, and his gun was tucked safely in his waistline for easy access. He wasn't paying attention to either, though. Reaching into the pocket of the borrowed jacket he wore against the elements, his fingers closed carefully on the object concealed there. 

            Even without actually seeing it, he knew exactly what it looked like. Duo would probably kill him if he knew what he had done before they had been switched back; he hardly understood himself what possessed him to cut off a piece of Duo's thick golden-brown hair, much less braid and tie it like some sort of odd keepsake. He had burned one end slightly, fusing the strands together. The other end was secured with a maroon rubber band. His fingers toyed over the small braided tress, and for some reason it made him feel better. 

            Duo's hair was annoying and unruly, requiring far more maintenance than was worth the time. Heero liked it anyway. He was fascinated by Duo's hair, and in some detached manner he almost missed being able to braid it up again every day. The action was oddly comforting; Heero wondered if that was perhaps part of the reason that Duo kept the cumbersome hairstyle. 

            He knew one thing; he wasn't going to complain about the braid anymore. Pulling the small braided memento out of his pocket for a moment, Heero looked down at his palm with an unusual softness in his eyes. Duo could never find out about this, or he would never live it down. 

            He was too attached. He was becoming far too sentimental. He should have just tossed the bit of hair away.

            Tucking the tress carefully back into his pocket, he kept his hand around it as he jogged up the path to the darkened safe house.  

            He suddenly didn't care. It reminded him of Duo, and that was enough. 

            Suddenly Duo's ears caught the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs, and his eyes widened as he dove for the mattress. Hanging off the edge and groping under the bed, he searched for the magazine he'd left there, thinking he could give off the pretense that he'd been reading. Cursing under his breath, his fingers met with nothing but empty space.

            The footsteps had stopped, and Duo heard someone's hand on the doorknob. The second it started to turn Duo's thumb grazed something made of paper, and he snatched it out speedily as he turned onto his other side to look away from the door as it was pushed open. 

            Heero walked into the room, his eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. The small lamp next to the bed was on, but Duo was turned away from it. It wasn't like the braided boy to be lying down at all; it wasn't so late, after all. 

            Duo looked over his shoulder, smiling at Heero as his hands blindly yanked the magazine open. He tried to keep a casual air, looking Heero over automatically for injuries. To his relief he saw none. 

            "Heya Heero," he said amiably. "What are you doing back so soon?"

            "It's nice to see you too," Heero said dryly, striding into the room toward the desk. Duo pouted at him, but the action went unseen.

            "Aw, c'mon Heero, I didn't mean it like that!" he protested, rolling over with the magazine still in his hands. He watched Heero's back, trying to judge the boy's mood. It was a basically impossible venture. 

            "What are you doing in bed anyway?" Heero asked, monotone. He turned slightly to look at the boy, his eyes drawn to Duo's hands. His eyes widened only slightly, but Duo caught the action.

            "What?!" he asked loudly. "I was only reading my … uh …" He glanced down at his hands, frowned, and closed the booklet momentarily to look at the cover. He choked back a snort. "…Programming manual?!" 

            "I believe that's mine," Heero said evenly, turning away again with a smirk on his face. "And it's easier to read right side up." Duo gawked, and tossed the booklet to the floor with embarrassment. 

            "Well, yeah, ya see …" he trailed off, sitting up cross-legged on the bed as he rubbed the side of his face nervously. "Ah, whatever. So, the mission go okay?"

            "Hn," Heero replied softly, his back still turned as he arranged his things on the desk. Duo rolled his eyes.

            "Was that a 'Damn straight, I kicked ass!' sort of hn, or a 'Leave me the hell alone, I'm pissed and sulking!' sort of hn?" he asked. 

            "Hn," Heero said again, but this time it came out as a sort of amused snort as he turned to raise an eyebrow at the braided boy. Duo grinned, waving his hand at the silent pilot.

            "Hi," he said simply.

            "Hi," Heero replied automatically. 

            "So everything's okay?" Duo asked, genuinely concerned. Heero nodded, slipping his jacket off and hanging it on the back of the desk chair.

            "Everything is fine," he said. Duo grinned.          

            "That's good. I'm glad you're back, really I am," Duo said, referring to Heero's earlier comment. "Just surprised. You said you wouldn't be back till tomorrow morning."

            "I was ahead of schedule," Heero shrugged. Duo resisted the urge to laugh. 

            "Whatever," he teased. "You know you just couldn't wait any longer to get back here and see me." Heero simply glared at him, and Duo did laugh then. He leaned back, propping himself up with his arms as he stretched one leg to dangle over the edge of the bed.

            "Hey," he said suddenly, his laughter gone as he remembered the pictures tucked under his pillow. "I gotta question for you, Heero." Heero didn't reply, but he turned his attention fully toward the braided boy as he leaned against the side of the desk. 

            "Whatever happened to my camera? Did you break it?" Duo asked. Heero gave him an odd look, but pushed away from the desk and quietly padded across the room. Duo watched with a bemused smile as Heero knelt by the closet to rummage through his things. After a moment he stood again, and calmly walked over to the bed to take a place on the quilt.

            "It's okay!" Duo exclaimed, taking the small device from Heero with a smile of thanks. Heero surrendered it willingly.

            "I deleted all the pictures," he said, toneless as ever. Duo knew he was sorry; not because of the loss of the pictures, but because he had hurt Duo's feelings. Duo had wanted them and he had destroyed them anyway.  Duo managed a pardoning smile.

            "It's okay, Heero, I don't blame you," Duo said, flicking the device on anyway to make sure it was still functioning properly. He frowned slightly in confusion as the screen popped to life. The small white numbers indicated that there was one picture on file.

            "Huh? You missed one, Heero," he announced. At that Heero almost seemed to blush, and he bowed his head for a moment.

            "Oh. I … forgot about that," he said quietly, reaching for the camera. "I will fix it."  Duo gave him a curious glance, spinning the device out of Heero's range. 

            "What do you mean?" he asked.

            "Duo! Just give it to me," Heero insisted, reaching again. Duo pulled away, a smile growing on his face.

            "I'm curious now! What is it?" 

            "Nothing," Heero growled. Duo shook his head, scooting away from Heero's demanding hands. 

            "I don't believe you!" Duo retorted, then without waiting for a reply he flipped the device from record to display.

            A small, slightly out of focus image popped up on the screen, and Duo choked in surprise. There before him was a perfect image of himself, the cold gaze in his eyes unmistakably Heero, giving the camera a rather offensive gesture. Heero looked away, embarrassed. Duo stared a minute more, then burst into laughter.

            "Heero! You … you …!" he tried to say, then dissolved into helpless laughter again as he suddenly dropped the camera and flung his arms around a very surprised Japanese pilot. Slowly, Heero's uncomfortable face dissolved into a softer expression, and he smiled along with Duo's involuntary chuckles.

            "Man, I thought I had you all figured out," Duo said, pressing his cheek into Heero's ear. "But that … I never expected! What else don't I know about you, I wonder?" He pulled away to grin at Heero, who's face had gone back to a neutral, if slightly regretful, expression. 

            "I was upset at you, then. I forgot I had done that," he said softly. 

            "Don't be sorry, Heero, that's the funniest thing that's happened all day!" Duo assured him, patting his hand as he peered closely at the other boy's face. "Gotta admit, though, I didn't think you'd _ever do that! Musta been my bad influence. What else are you hiding in there, hmm?"_

            "Duo," Heero said, shaking his head slightly. "What is your preoccupation with knowing things about me?"

            "I think you're fascinating, that's all," Duo grinned. "I mean, I know _you think you know all you need to know about __me, but you're kind of a mystery to me. A fun mystery." Heero looked down, apparently uncomfortable with the current topic of discussion, and Duo gave him an understanding smile as he pushed Heero's chin back up._

            "Don't worry about it, man," he said quietly. "I'll find out when you're ready. I know all I need to know for now."

            "What?" Heero frowned a little. Duo just shrugged, leaning back on his arms again.

            "Sure. I know you're Heero Yuy. I know that I care about you, and that you care about me. I know that your favorite color is purple and that you don't like chocolate and …"

            "Duo," Heero interrupted.

            "Yeah, Heero?" Duo asked. 

            "I never told you I don't like chocolate," he said, glaring accusingly at the braided pilot. Duo's eyes widened a little, and he swallowed nervously.

            "Ah … you didn't? You sure?"

            "Very," Heero replied, leaning forward. "Duo, you disobeyed my orders."

            "Huh?"

            "I told you I didn't want that stuff in my body. I meant that, you know," Heero said, moving even closer. Duo leaned back a little.

            "Y-yeah, I know. I didn't eat anything, I swear," Duo said. Heero's hands were on either side of his knees now, and the boy was glaring intently. 

            "You're lying, Duo," he said flatly.

            "Am not!"

            "Yes you are," Heero insisted.

            "No I'm not! I didn't eat it! I spit it out 'cause it tasted so nasty!" Duo burst, and his face fell as Heero suddenly smirked. He tried to scoot away.

            "Um, busted?" he said weakly, the look in Heero's eyes making him uncomfortable. "Hey Heero, stop looking at me like that, would ya? I mean, it's not like I hurt anything or … uh, Heero?" Heero was awfully close now, and it was making Duo more than uncomfortable. Suddenly Heero's hand shot out, closing down on Duo's side. Duo squealed in surprise, squirming away as best he could. 

            "Heero! What are you doing?!" 

            "Retaliation," Heero explained tersely, his fingers clamping down on Duo again and causing the boy to yelp. "I did learn a thing or two in your body, you know."

            "Not fair!" Duo retorted, trying to wiggle out of Heero's range as the boy continued his barrage of tickling. "Heero! Stop it … stop! 'S not … f-fair! Would you … _quit it?!" Duo couldn't stop laughing, but he managed to connect a weak kick to Heero's torso, and that was enough to earn him a chance to escape. He clawed his way off of the bed, crawling across the floor as he tried to throw himself to his feet before Heero caught up to him. He pulled himself up against the desk, whirling into a defensive crouch against the boy that had jumped off the bed after him. _

            "Duo," Heero said simply.

            "No. No way," Duo retorted. "You are _so going to pay, Yuy!"_

            "Really," Heero said, smirking with amusement. 

            "Damn straight," Duo nodded, and without any other warning he lunged out at the unprepared pilot. He slammed bodily into Heero, throwing his arms around his shoulders and mashing his lips into the other's mouth. 

            Heero's breath had been knocked from him as he stumbled back slightly, but he managed to stay on his feet as his arms came up automatically to brace himself against the braided boy. Duo took full advantage of the gasp that escaped his lungs, however, and deepened the kiss immediately.

            Heero was hardly one to protest. 

            Both were slightly dazed and slightly breathless when Duo finally relinquished Heero's lips, his hands trailing along Heero's spine. Heero could feel Duo's warm breath on his lips, and he trembled slightly as he held tightly to the boy. Duo smiled softly, nuzzling his nose into Heero's cheek.

            "Duo," Heero murmured.

            "Yeah, Heero," Duo replied quietly, not really questioning the boy. He knew what Heero meant, after all. Suddenly Duo's grin gained a wicked quality, and his violet eyes sparkled as he met the other boy's gaze. "Heero?"

            "Hm?" Heero breathed. Duo moved forward, his tongue grazing the corner of Heero's lips, then suddenly he whirled out of Heero's arms with a wild cackle as he took off toward the door of the room.

            "That'll teach you!" he shouted, dashing out into the hall away from a very stunned, confused Heero. The unsure expression on his face melted into a small but determined smile as he ran off after the other boy.

            "Duo! Get back here!" 

::_End::_


End file.
